Namibia Beat Ireland by 31 Runs — Erasmus's Career-Best 156 Not Out Levels the Series at 1-1

Captains are told to lead from the front. Gerhard Erasmus did that and then kept going until there was no front left to lead from. Two days after Namibia were bowled out for 174 in the series opener, their captain batted through the whole innings in Windhoek for a career-best 156 not out off 125 balls, then came back with the ball to take Ireland's last two wickets.

Namibia made 321 for 6 and bowled Ireland out for 290 in 47.3 overs. Namibia won by 31 runs, and the five-match series is level at 1-1.

It didn't start well. Ireland chose to bowl, and Louren Steenkamp was caught by Barry McDonough off the first ball he faced. Michael van Lingen made 22. What followed was a long, patient partnership between Erasmus and Jan Frylinck, whose 76 off 90 balls was the other big innings of the day. Neither batted with much urgency for most of it, and that turned out to be the right approach: they kept wickets in hand.

Erasmus reached his third ODI hundred off 108 balls in the 46th over. From there he made 56 more off his next 17 balls. Namibia scored 111 in their last ten overs and 79 in their last five. In the first ODI Namibia lost wickets regularly and never built an innings. This time they saved their attack for the last ten overs, and it worked.

Ireland's chase had the right shape early. Paul Stirling, who top-scored in the first game too, added 54 for the first wicket with Andrew Balbirnie (22) and went on to 77. George Dockrell (48) and Curtis Campher (45) both got in. But nobody went on to a hundred, and against 322 that was always going to be a problem. Jack Brassell's 4 for 52 kept taking wickets at the moments Ireland needed a big partnership.

To their credit, Ireland didn't fold. Gavin Hoey, who took 3 for 53 earlier and has been their best bowler in the series, hit three sixes in 31 off 21 balls and added 58 for the ninth wicket with Jai Moondra (20). That got Ireland within sight before Erasmus brought himself on and finished it, with Hoey the last man out. The lesson for Ireland is about the death bowling: they conceded 79 in the last five overs and lost by 31.

Two days earlier, 229 for 9 had been enough to win comfortably at the same venue. This time both sides passed 290, which suggests the surface was better for batting, or that batters who had seen it once knew how to play it. Ireland chose to bowl again, as Namibia had in the first game, but the side batting first won both matches. The bowlers who did best (Hoey, Brassell) were the ones who took wickets in the middle overs rather than relying on the new ball.

The numbers are 156 not out and 2 for 13, but the shape of the innings is what stands out. Erasmus played the first 45 overs as an anchor, waiting for the last ten. His first hundred balls were careful, and then in the space of 17 balls he scored more than half as many again. A captain on a 1-0 deficit who reaches a hundred in the 46th over could easily have got himself out trying to finish quickly. Erasmus kept going until the end of the 50th over. Then, with Ireland's tail digging in, he took the ball and ended it himself.

This match didn't have a CricIntel preview — we'll have full analysis for the next encounter.

At 1-1 with three to play, the sides are back in action on Tuesday. The side batting first has won both games so far, so the toss may matter more than usual. Namibia now have a template: keep wickets for a late surge, then trust Brassell to take wickets. Ireland have Stirling in form and Hoey in good rhythm with ball and bat. What they need is someone to turn a 45 into a hundred.