Aus Beat Namibia in T20 Warm-Up Despite Player Shortage

Australia managed a remarkable seven-wicket victory over Namibia in their T20 World Cup warm-up match despite being short on players available for the game. The match, held at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, saw Australia with only nine available first-team players, resting key individuals such as Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green after their recent IPL stint.

The Australian captain, Mitch Marsh, opted to field after winning the toss, leading a team that included support staff members like George Bailey and Andre Borovec to make up the numbers initially on the field. As the game progressed, Brad Hodge and Andrew McDonald joined in for fielding duties to cover for Marsh and Hazlewood as they rotated off the field.

Despite the shortage of players, the Australian team, currently ranked second in the T20 format, outperformed Namibia, ranked 14th, with ease. Josh Hazlewood‘s exceptional opening spell, where he picked up two wickets without conceding a run in his initial three overs, set the tone for Australia. Spinner Adam Zampa and bowlers Nathan Ellis and Tim David also chipped in with crucial wickets to restrict Namibia to 119/9 in their allotted 20 overs.

In their chase, Australia lost early wickets but were propelled by a spectacular innings from David Warner, who scored an unbeaten 54 off just 21 balls to see Australia home with 10 overs to spare. Warner received support from Tim David and Matthew Wade as Australia achieved the target comfortably.

The victory sets Australia on a positive note as they prep for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Their next warm-up match is against the West Indies, with their tournament opener scheduled against Oman in Barbados on June 5. Australia finds themselves in Group B of the World Cup, alongside England, Namibia, Scotland, and Oman.