Zimbabwe defeats Namibia by five runs in T20 Tri-Series thriller

Zimbabwe secured their first win of the 2026 T20 Tri-Series with a dramatic five-run victory over Namibia at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Zimbabwe posted 195-6 in their 20 overs. Despite a middle-order collapse that saw them fall to 79-5, Ryan Burl (57 not out) and Brad Evans (37 not out) shared a crucial 94-run partnership for the seventh wicket to stabilize the innings.

In response, Namibia appeared to be in a strong position after a late-innings surge from Alexander Volschenk (56) and Zane Green (52), who shared a 104-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Namibia required 16 runs from the final over to win. However, Brad Evans delivered a decisive performance, taking key wickets in the final over to restrict Namibia to 190 all out. Evans was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution, which included taking 3 wickets for 41 runs.