By: Hee-Dee Walenga
Namibia’s men’s cricket national team, the FNB Eagles, beat South Africa by 18 runs at the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground in the opening fixture of the 2026 FNB Tri-Series. The series features Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, who are the three nations that will be hosting the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Namibia batted first, putting up 163-9, with Jan Frylinck (60) and Louren Steenkamp (40) leading the way.
Speaking to the media prior to the game, Eagles captain, Gerhard Erasmus, noted how the Eagles would draw inspiration from last year’s victory over the Proteas on home soil.
“That special win in front of our home crowd is what any cricketing nation aspires to. The buy-in of the public and the corporations has been really awesome,” Erasmus said.
The opening FNB Tri-Series fixture drew a strong crowd on Friday afternoon, with fans of all ages enjoying the pleasant weather and quality cricket.
Frylinch told The Villager, “the vibes are high right now but there are a lot of things we need to still work on,” Frylinch expressed, signalling the Eagles’ intent to maximise their potential and truly compete with the world’s best.
“We want to win, we don’t care who we play against,” Frylinch added. In the T20 format, Namibia is ranked 14th in the world. South Africa is ranked 5th, making the Proteas the highest ranked African country in the T20 format. Zimbabwe is ranked 12th.
Namibia’s Jj Smit won the Player of the Match award after delivering 3/31 in 4 overs.
South African batsman, Dewald Brevis, who scored a game high 75, told The Villager he has enjoyed his time in Namibia thus far. “Even the first day we got here, driving past the field, it looked so nice. I love the fans, they love their sports,” Brevis said.
Brevis also had praise for the playing surface. “It’s a nice quick field, nice boundaries. The wicket is also nice, I really enjoyed it,” the 23-year-old said.
The series will conclude on the 6th of September and will be followed by an ODI series between the Eagles and the Proteas that will conclude on the 13th of September.
