Namibia fell short by just five runs against Zimbabwe while chasing 196 in a thriller in the ongoing T20I tri-series.
In case you missed it, Zimbabwe and Namibia played out an all-time classic
Namibia and Zimbabwe played out one of the great T20Is in history on Tuesday, August 31. Both teams recovered from respective collapses to get ahead in the match, and both broke the world record for the highest seventh-wicket partnership, before Zimbabwe eventually came out on top in a nail-biting last-over finish.
After being invited to bat first, Zimbabwe got off to a brilliant start, with their openers slamming 64 runs in the powerplay. But they soon collapsed from 64-0 to 79-5 by the 10th over before losing their sixth wicket in the 12th with just 101 runs on the board.
Ryan Burl and Brad Evans then joined hands to together add 94, registering the highest T20I partnership for the seventh wicket (a record that didn't stand for long) to propel Zimbabwe to 195. Burl remained not out on 57 off 32, with seven fours and a six, while Evans scored 37* off 25 balls.
Highest seventh-wicket partnerships in T20Is
Partners | Runs | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
Zane Green, Alexander Volschenk | 110 | Namibia | Zimbabwe | Windhoek | Aug 31, 2026 |
Ryan Burl, Brad Evans | 94* | Zimbabwe | Namibia | Windhoek | Aug 31, 2026 |
Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Sams | 92 | Australia | New Zealand | Dunedin | Feb 25, 2021 |
Taranjit Singh, Arjun Shahi | 92 | Cyprus | Estonia | Episkopi | Jun 17, 2024 |
Paul Collingwood, Michael Yardy | 91 | England | West Indies | The Oval | Jun 28, 2007 |
Syed Ahzamul Haq, Nikhil | 88* | Uzbekistan | Indonesia | Singapore | Jun 26, 2026 |
Kayron Stagno, Andrew Reyes | 88 | Gibraltar | Portugal | Gibraltar | May 4, 2023 |
Maletino Maiava, Josef Pita | 85 | Samoa | Fiji | Suva | Mar 14, 2023 |
Michael Santner, Cole McConchie | 84 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Colombo (RPS) | Feb 25, 2026 |
Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain | 82 | Bangladesh | Zimbabwe | Mirpur | Sep 13, 2019 |
In response, Namibia lost two wickets in the powerplay, but were well-placed at 60 for the loss of two wickets after nine overs to make a push for the target. But they went from 60-2 to 76-6 in just 13 deliveries, before Zane Green and Alexander Volschenk helped them make a stunning comeback. The duo broke the world record set by the Burl-Evans duo only hours ago, adding 110 runs for the seventh wicket.
Both players notched up their respective half-centuries, but their extraordinary effort went in vain. Namibia began the last over needing 16 runs, but they lost four wickets off the last five balls to fall five short of the target.
Evans was the hero with the ball for Zimbabwe, backing up his unbeaten 37 with three wickets. Apart from him, Brian Bennett also played his part in the victory, scoring 32 runs opening the innings before striking twice in the only over he bowled.
So far in the tri-series, all three teams have won a game each.
Image Credits: Zimbabwe Cricket/X
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