Monank Patel Shines with 72 as USA Clinches 6-Wicket Win Over Namibia

Namibia faced off against the United States on Sept. 15th, in the 25th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 at Windhoek. In what turned out to be a comprehensive win for the U.S.A., they chased down Namibia’s total of 199/9 with ease, winning by six wickets and 51 balls remaining.

Namibia batted first and struggled to build momentum throughout their innings. Opening batsmen Michael van Lingen and JP Kotze failed to provide a solid start. Van Lingen was dismissed for 5 off 23 balls, caught by Mukkamalla off the bowling of Juanoy Drysdale, while Kotze fell shortly after for 8, trapped lbw by Drysdale, leaving Namibia at a precarious 12-2 inside the first eight overs.

Jan Frylinck came to Namibia’s rescue with a steady innings of 70 off 88 balls, including seven boundaries. He found some support from captain Gerhard Erasmus, who contributed 27 off 49 balls, but the two struggled to accelerate the scoring. Frylinck’s dismissal in the 35th over left Namibia at 128-5, and they continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.

JJ Smit played a useful knock of 49 from 75 balls, striking three fours and three sixes, but Namibia’s innings never really gathered pace. The lower order couldn’t add much, with Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (17), Jan-Izak de Villiers (5), and Bernard Scholtz falling cheaply. Smit was bowled by Netravalkar in the 48th over as Namibia finished on a modest total of 199/9 in their allotted 50 overs.

The U.S. bowlers were disciplined and kept the run rate under control. Saurabh Netravalkar led the attack with 2-41 from his 10 overs, while Juanoy Drysdale was particularly economical, taking 2-16 from six overs. Milind Kumar also impressed, picking up 2-18 in his five overs, including the key wickets of Erasmus and Malan Kruger. Harmeet Singh and Jasdeep Singh also bowled well, contributing to Namibia’s struggles to build a competitive score.

Chasing 200 for victory, the United States got off to a steady start, although opener Smit Patel was dismissed early for 9, caught by Loftie-Eaton off the bowling of Tangeni Lungameni in the 8th over. However, Sushant Modani, who scored a brisk 36 off 36 balls, and captain Monank Patel, who was in sublime form, took control of the chase. Modani hit two boundaries and two sixes before being run out in the 14th over, but by then, the U.S. had already set a solid platform at 57-2.

Monank Patel led from the front with a commanding knock of 72 off 82 balls. His innings, studded with seven boundaries and one six, anchored the U.S. innings and kept the required run rate in check. Patel combined with Saiteja Mukkamalla, who played a composed and unbeaten knock of 59 off 71 balls, to form a match-winning partnership. Their 106-run stand for the third wicket put the U.S. firmly in control.

Though Monank Patel fell in the 33rd over, bowled by Gerhard Erasmus, his job was already done, with the U.S. needing just 37 more runs. Erasmus picked up another wicket in quick succession, trapping Milind Kumar lbw for a duck, but it was too little too late. Shayan Jahangir joined Mukkamalla and ensured there were no further hiccups, finishing unbeaten on 21 off 33 balls as the U.S. comfortably chased down the target in 41.3 overs.

In the end, the United States’ balanced bowling attack and commanding batting display saw them through to a comfortable six-wicket win, solidifying their position in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 standings.