The stage is set for the battle between the minnows – Scotland vs Namibia. This match will take place at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on 27th October. After 14 years of exile from the World T20 main event, Scotland made a comeback against Afghanistan – a game they would love to forget. Scotland suffered a massive loss that put them at the bottom of the points table with a NRR of -6.5.
For Namibia, who will be playing their first-ever match in the ICC WT20 main event, things are looking scary. It will be interesting to see whether Scotland bounces back from rock bottom or Namibia register their first-ever victory on the Grand stage. Bookies are going with Scotland to win the game.
Scotland vs Namibia T20 World Cup
Team News for Scotland
Scotland will be low on confidence after things went haywire against Afghanistan. They lost the game by a margin of 130 runs. It will be tough for skipper Kyle Coetzer to put his team back up with the same confidence they showed in the qualifying stage.
Scotland should play the same team. They have to show the same hunger they showed while beating Bangladesh in round 1. Their qualification was a product of team contribution and not individual performances. The management will expect George Munsey and skipper Kyle Coetzer to provide a strong start to put pressure on Namibia. Support from their experienced batter and highest run-scorer, Richie Berrington, will come in handy in the top-order.
Scotland will rely on Safyaan Sharif and Mark Watt to take the lead with Josh Davey in the bowling department. Sharif, who was playing his first World T20 main event game, took 2 wickets and was the find from the Scotland camp. Being the most economical against Afghanistan, Mark Watt will be used in the middle overs to stop Namibia from playing freely.
George Munsey and leading wicket-taker Josh Davey will be the key players from the Scotland side who are priced at 4.00 in their respective departments by Bet365.
Likely playing 11 of Scotland
George Munsey, Kyle Coetzer (c), Matthew Cross (wk), Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Josh Davey, Safyaan Sharif, Bradley Wheal
Team News for Namibia
It is a fairytale for Namibia. Who would have thought that a team who played their first T20I two years back would qualify for the ICC World T20? But that’s the beauty of cricket. Namibia won two of their three qualifying games to enter the Super-12 stage. They have nothing to lose from here.
Skipper Gerhard Erasmus will go with Craig Williams and Zane Green to open the innings. The use of all-rounder and ex-South Africa international David Wiese will be the key to Namibia's success at the Super-12 stage. Wisse has struck at 163.93 in the qualifying stage with the bat and has taken 3 wickets at an economy of 6.50.
Jan Frylinck will be leading the bowling department with Wiese and Bernard Scholtz.
Gerhard Erasmus and Jan Frylinck are bookies' favourites from the Namibia Camp, with prices set at 4.00 and 3.5 respectively at Bet365.
Likely playing 11 of Namibia
Zane Green (wk), Craig Williams, Michael van Lingen, Gerhard Erasmus (c), David Wiese, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Pikky Ya France, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz
Pitch and Weather Conditions
The Sheikh Zayed Stadium is a bowler-friendly pitch. The ball comes slow onto the bat, and it makes it difficult for batters to score freely. The inaugural game of the World T20 between South Africa and Australia showed the importance of bowlers at this venue. Though Australia managed to restrict South Africa for 118 for the loss of 9 wickets, it took them more than 19 overs to register the win. The dew plays a crucial role in the second innings.
The weather is expected to be clear with high humidity. The temperature will be around 28 degrees with a little assistance from the wind.
Betting Predictions for Scotland vs Namibia
Let's take a look at a few important betting predictions for Scotland vs Namibia:
Match Result Prediction
An unwanted start to the tournament hasn’t reduced the chances of Scotland to win against Namibia. The bookies have marked them as favourites, with a price set at 1.66. Before the loss against Afghanistan, Scotland beat Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and Oman in a row. As we said earlier, Josh Davey’s bowling side will be difficult for Namibia to handle in their first World T20 main event game. Namibia have won 8 out of 9 times this year. But Scotts are hurt, and they should win this game.
Match Winner: Scotland (1.66)
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Toss Prediction
Sheikh Zayed Stadium has hosted 52 T20I games so far. The teams who chased the target have been more successful here. Plus, in four out of the last five games, teams batting second have been successful. The dew factor will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the toss. Teams should field first after winning the toss.
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Top Batsman for Namibia
We have talked a lot about David Wiese earlier. But Namibia’s skipper Gerhard Erasmus could come out as the top batsman from Namibia camp. Erasmus played two crucial innings in the first three games Scotland played here. He is averaging 52.50 with a half-century. He is familiar with UAE pitches and has 411 runs under his belt in 15 games.
Top Batsman for Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (3.98)
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