The T20 World Cup began with a bang in Australia as Namibia pulled off an opening day shock by thumping Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka by 55 runs. Namibia, ranked 14th in the world, fell to 93-6, but the duo of Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit rallied to hit 70 off just 37 balls.
That saw them finish on a healthy total of 163, before Sri Lanka, ranked eighth in the world, were bowled out for just 108. It’s a spectacular start to the tournament as every World Cup needs a shock, but few saw this one coming. Frylinck produced with both bat and ball as he took two wickets along with David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz and Ben Shikongo.
Man of the match Frylinck said he was "speechless" at the result and they had "achieved above what we thought we could", while Smit said "for the little boys and girls at home, this will mean the world".
Remarkably, and to give some context on the manner of this win, this is only Namibia’s second victory over a Test nation, after they beat Ireland last year. They will now take on the Netherlands on Tuesday with a real chance of making it to the Super 12, where the elite nations join the party.
It marks another disappointment for former England head coach Chris Silverwood, who is now in charge of Sri Lanka. Some pundits had picked them as the dark horses in this tournament given their recent Asia Cup success, but now they are on the back foot in their bid to qualify.
The top two of each group will join the likes of England in the next round, and if Namibia can beat the Netherlands, they will have achieved that unlikely goal. The Dutch also got off to a winning start against the odds.
Up against the 13th ranked United Arab Emirates, the 18th ranked side bowled well against an underwhelming batting line-up. Bas de Leede bowled well to take three wickets as UAE were reduced to 111-8, a total that the Dutch were able to reach with just one ball to spare.
It was an exciting ending to a match that swung both ways, while there was also a moment of history as 16-year-old Aayan Khan became the youngest player to play in a Men's T20 World Cup.
Scotland take on West Indies and Ireland begin their campaign against Zimbabwe on Monday in Group B, but the World Cup is off and running in style. Namibia have got off to a winning start, against the odds. It would be quite the story if they can secure qualification with another win on Tuesday.
