Namibia vs Netherlands live score, T20 World Cup 2026: Namibia start against well-rounded Netherlands
Netherlands quick Paul van Meekeren had been there, almost done that on Saturday: Pakistan needed just 50 off nine overs when he bowled a double-wicket maiden to trigger a massive slowdown. He finished with figures of 2 for 20, but Netherlands fell short of a win and van Meerken of the headlines.
If T20 squads are built around allrounders, JJ Smit has certainly laid Namibia’s strong foundations in the build-up to this World Cup. He was their biggest utility player at the Africa qualifiers – the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer, with 197 runs in four innings at 98.50 and a strike rate of 187.61. He can also bowl handy medium pace, and chipped in with six wickets in five games. In 2025, he bowled with an economy rate of 6.19, and will be vital to Namibia’s chances of taking control of the middle overs.
Team news
An impressive all-round bowling performance took Netherlands close to a famous win, so it is unlikely they will be tinkering with their combinations just yet.
Netherlands (possible): 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Bas de Leede, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 6 Zach Lion-Cachet, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Aryan Dutt, 10 Kyle Klein, 11 Paul van Meekeren
The Delhi pitch should have plenty in it for the spinners, especially under the sun, for Namibia to begin the tournament with their veteran left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz in the eleven.
Namibia (possible): 1 Louren Steenkamp, 2 Jan Frylinck, 3 Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 JJ Smit, 6 Malan Kruger, 7 Zane Green (wk), 8 Ruben Trumpelmann, 9 Bernard Scholtz, 10 Ben Shikongo, 11 Jack Brassell
Pitch and conditions: Short boundaries, big runs?
Another biting winter nears its end in north India, but this late-morning game in Delhi – starts at 11 am IST – should see temperatures hover around a more manageable mid 20s (Celsius). There is no rain in the air but plenty of haze, which might make fielding a challenge. The Arun Jaitley Stadium is also one of the smaller venues in the country, so its short boundaries will facilitate plenty of big-hitting.
