GEELONG — Jan Frylinck hit 44 runs and took two wickets as Namibia beat Asian Cup champions Sri Lanka by 55 runs in a major upset in Sunday’s opening game of the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.
Southpaws Frylinck and JJ Smit, who went 31 unbeaten, took Namibia’s 69 run and seventh wicket tally to 163-7 after being asked to bet first in Geelong.
Sri Lanka were then bowled for 108 from 19 overs, with David Wiese, Frylinck, Bernard Scholtz and Ben Shikongo each taking two wickets in the first of three matches in the first round.
The African minnows are on their way to a second straight Super 12 final after accomplishing the feat on their T20 World Cup debut in the United Arab Emirates last year.
“Amazing trip, last year was a special experience for us. We started with a great victory, but there is still a lot to do in this tournament,” skipper Gerhard Erasmus said after the landslide victory.
“It was a historic day for us. The opening day was very special but we want to continue from here and qualify for the Super 12 stage. We also understand the bigger picture,” he added.
