Namibia's biggest upsets in international cricket after stunning win over South Africa again originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:- Namibia beat South Africa by 18 runs in the T20I Tri-Series opener in Windhoek.
- They became the first associate side to beat South Africa in a T20I last October.
- Their 55-run win over Sri Lanka opened the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Associate nations are supposed to compete rather than win, and Gerhard Erasmus rejected that framing before a ball was bowled in this tri-series. His side then went out and made his point for him, defending 163 for 9 against South Africa at the Namibia Cricket Ground.
It was the second time in under a year that Namibia has beaten their far more illustrious neighbours and the third occasion in four years that they have toppled a full member in circumstances few anticipated.
South Africa arrived with a second-string squad led by left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin, but the visitors still carried names like Dewald Brevis and sit fifth in the T20I rankings against Namibia's 17th.
But that didn't stop them from handing the Proteas their second upset in as many games. But before we get to that, here's a look at Namibia's biggest victories.
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Namibia stun Sri Lanka at the 2022 T20 World CupThe tournament in Australia opened with what remains the most widely watched of Namibia's upsets. Facing Sri Lanka at Geelong on October 16, 2022, they were expected to provide little more than a warm-up for the reigning Asia Cup champions.
Instead, Namibia posted 163 for 7 batting first, a total that looked competitive rather than commanding on a ground where chasing had generally been straightforward. What followed was a bowling performance that dismantled a side featuring several established names like Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya De Silva.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 108, handing Namibia victory by 55 runs. It was their first win over a full member at a World Cup, and it set the tone for a campaign in which they reached the Super 12 stage. But it wouldn't be their biggest win. That came three years later.
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Namibia beat South Africa for the first time in October 2025Heading into the one-off, the two nations had never met in any format before October 11, 2025. The game was simply arranged to mark the opening of Namibia's new cricket stadium in Windhoek. The occasion produced a finish few in attendance will forget.
South Africa were restricted to 134 for 8 after choosing to bat, with Jason Smith top-scoring on 31 and Ruben Trumpelmann returning figures of 3 for 28. Namibia's reply was far from smooth, and they needed 11 runs from the final over bowled by Andile Simelane.
Zane Green launched the first ball for six, and after Simelane recovered with four tight deliveries, a low full toss on the last ball was whipped away to seal a four-wicket win. Green finished unbeaten on 30 from 23, with Trumpelmann 11 not out alongside him.
The significance extended well beyond the scorecard. It was the first time South Africa had ever lost a T20I to an associate nation, and it made them the fourth full member Namibia had beaten in the format after Ireland, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
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Namibia defends 163 to beat South Africa again in 2026Any suggestion that the 2025 result was a fluke was answered emphatically in the opening fixture of this tri-series. Sent in after losing the toss, Namibia were given a flying start by Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck, who added 84 inside 9.4 overs.
Frylinck top-scored with 60 from 38 balls, including six fours and two sixes, while Steenkamp made 41 from 29. A middle-order wobble that saw four wickets tumble for no runs threatened to derail the innings, but Ruben Trumpelmann's 12 from six lifted them to 163 for 9. Prenelan Subrayen took 3 for 32 and Fortuin 2 for 17.
South Africa slipped to 19 for 2, and then 39 for 3 before Dewald Brevis mounted a genuine rescue attempt, striking 75 from 50 balls with four fours and five sixes. When Trumpelmann removed him at 133 for 6 in the 18th over, the contest turned decisively.
JJ Smit bowled the final over and finished with 3 for 31 to earn the player of the match award, with Trumpelmann taking 3 for 24. South Africa closed on 145 for 9, an 18-run defeat.
Erasmus was clear about what the result signified. "I think this is very important in the sense that it shows that we do belong, and it wasn't a once-off," the captain said. "We've shown it on home turf now as well; not only World Cups and last year's win, but we've also shown on home turf that we can be a consistent cricketing team in this format and compete with the best."
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