Tanzania's U-19 cricketers lose to Namibia in 2023 ICC U-19 WC Africa

The showdown's hosts had earlier shared a point with neighbours Kenya in the first match as the tie was abandoned because of rain.

Namibia U-19 cricketers won the toss and elected to bat in the Monday clash, notching a modest total of 139/10 in the allotted 50 overs.

The batting squad was not that much convincing, much as the opening pair of Johannes Arnoldus De Villiers (13 runs) and Gerhard Johannes Janse Van Rensburg (27 runs) showed elements of resoluteness early on.

Johannes Wilhelm Visagie and Zacheo Rudolf Jansen Van Vuuren chipped in with 10 runs apiece as the Southern African nation's team battled to add runs.

After a drawback that witnessed top-order batsman Frans Hendrik Badenhorst enduring an early exit, Ryan Taylor Moffet took the crease to improve his team's score after recording 19 runs.

Alexander Büsing-Volschenk, slotted in at middle-order, significantly pushed the batting squad's score having posted 39 runs, blasting a boundary and a six during his stay at the crease.

Tanzania U-19 cricket side's bowling unit did all it could to restrict the opponents' score to a modest total after claiming wickets of the rest of the performers.

Shaikh Basha had impressive figures during Tanzania U-19 cricketers' bowling stint, ending his spell with three wickets and giving away five runs in 10 overs.

Augustine Mwamele and Mohamed Simba also played a pivotal role in preventing the Namibia U-19 squad from setting up a challenging target, as the duo ended with two wickets apiece.

Mwamele bowled 5.5 overs, giving away 18 runs, and ended with his two wickets, whereas Simba leaked 28 runs in the 7.1 overs he bowled. 

Chasing modest 140 runs surprisingly turned out to be a challenging task for Tanzania's U-19 cricket side, given it in response was bowled out for mere 33 runs in 19 overs.

The Tanzania U-19 squad batting unit was certainly less impressive, as captain Johnson John was the only batsman to have made his way back with a two-digit figure having posted 11 runs.

Nyambo's resoluteness had the Tanzania U-19 side reaching 32 runs when the promising all-rounder was caught by Namibia U-19 squad's Zacheo Rudolf Jansen Van Vuuren from Peter-Daniel Blignaut's delivery in the 17th over. The chase experienced a drawback early on as openers Hamza Ally and Acrey Pascal made their way back within the opening over, having failed to withstand the Namibia U-19 squad's bowling attack.

Tanzania U-19 side's wickets kept on falling in quick succession as the Namibia U-19 squad's bowling unit went on a rampage, none of the remainder of the former's batsmen had managed to make his way back with a two-digit figure.

Jack Thomas Brassell led the Namibia U-19 squad's bowling onslaught having taken three wickets giving away six runs in five overs. His bowling exploits won him the Player of the Match prize.

He was ably assisted by Blignaut and Morris Gerhardt Kariata, who took two wickets apiece, in keeping the Tanzania U-19 squad's batting unit in check.

The day also witnessed the Sierra Leone U-19 team commanding a nine-wicket win over the Nigeria U-19 squad at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) venue.

The match, which was also a low-scoring affair, saw the Sierra Leone U-19 squad win the toss and elect to bowl, a decision that paid off as the Nigeria U-19 squad was skittled for 73 runs in 27 overs.

Sierra Leone U-19 cricketers, thereafter, easily mounted a successful chase of the modest target of 74 runs, losing only one wicket in 17.5 overs. 

Tanzania's U-19 cricketers were on the verge of qualifying for the previous global showpiece played in the West Indies in 2022 after dictating the pace in the Africa Division One Qualifiers that took place in Kigali, Rwanda in October 2021.

Unfortunately, they were pipped to that lone berth by Uganda on net run rate (NRR) after the latter bowled the former out for 51 runs in 26.5 overs on the final day of the qualifiers and proceeded to chase down the target within 11 overs to boost their NRR to 2.128.

The trio of Uganda, Namibia, and Tanzania finished with the same number of points as Uganda emerged victors with a superior NRR.

Amazingly Tanzania finished third as Namibia cricketers beat Nigeria at Gahanga Cricket Stadium in a rain-curtailed match.

The winner of the African event will join regional qualifiers from Asia (Nepal), East Asia Pacific (New Zealand), Europe, and America’s representatives, as well as the 11 Full Member cricket nations that automatically qualified for the 15th edition in Sri Lanka, who will be hosting a third junior Cricket World Cup after riveting events in 2000 and 2006.