One of the most popular T20I series in Zimbabwean cricket history, the T20I series Zimbabwe vs Namibia began on 15 September 2025 at the historic Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. After months of anticipation, the support for this rivalry between two African nations enables one to forget about the upcoming T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers .
The first T20I delivered, it had all the ingredients to make it a great T20 match, including successive power-hitting batting periods, structured bowling phases, time periods for individual excellence. Let’s have a look at the match recap, player performances, outstanding moments, and the series outlook.
Match Summary
- Match: Namibia v Zimbabwe, 1st T20
- Series: Zimbabwe Tour of Namibia 2025
- Date: Monday, 15 September 2025
- Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
- Toss: Namibia won the toss and opted to field first.
Namibia’s decision to bowl first appeared the right one, with the grounds staff alerting us to expect the pitch to give the fast bowlers some early movement. What followed was some impressive batting by Zimbabwe, in particular young opener Brian Bennett who gave everyone a glimpse of his career defining innings.
Zimbabwe’s Batting Display: A Showcase of Skill
Zimbabwe batted first and posted a magnificent score of 204/3 in 20 overs, which created a situation that seemed difficult for the tourists.
Stand Out Performers:
1. Brian Bennett – 94 runs from 51 balls
Bennett was simply unstoppable. In an innings that was aggressive yet calculated, Bennett effortlessly scored 8 fours and 4 sixes. He made it look easy against the bowlers of Namibia and played with no fear, and fell just 6 runs short of what would have been a fantastic century.
2. Tadiwanashe Marumani – 62 runs from 48 balls
Marumani gave Zimbabwe the perfect platform together with Bennett. His knock was steady, and he ensured that the overall run rate was at least above 9 an over. Bennett and Marumani provided a 124 run opening partnership that laid the foundation for Zimbabwe to put up a big score.
3. Ryan Burl – 22 runs (9 balls)
Burl’s fireworks at the end ensured Zimbabwe reached a score above 200. Two sixes and a hot-headed style were exactly what the side needed in the last couple of overs.
4. Sikandar Raza – 17 runs (10 balls)
The captain had brief yet significant innings, highlighting why he is still Zimbabwe’s glue in the middle order.
Essential Collaboration:
The robust 124-run partnership between Bennett and Marumani was a game-changer. When Namibia terminated this partnership, Zimbabwe had an imposing position.
Namibia’s Bowling: Difficulties & minor successes
Namibia’s bowlers had a tough day at the office. They took 3 wickets but gave up excessive runs, notably in the powerplay and death overs of the innings.
- Alexander Volschenk: Was Namibia’s key bowler, taking 2 important wickets (Marumani & Burl). His numbers gave the tourists a modicum of comfort.
- Ruben Trumpelmann: Wasn’t as effective as usual, taking 1 wicket but going for 46 in 4 overs.
- Other bowlers: JJ Smit, Bernard Scholtz and Brassell bowled well but could not keep Zimbabwe’s batsmen in check.
Namibia’s main issue on this day was not keeping a regular line and length, which allow Zimbabwe’s batsmen to swing at will.
Namibia’s Hunt: A Stiff Hill to Climb
Chasing 205 runs in T20 cricket is never easy and for Namibia to have any chance they needed a quick start. However, Zimbabwe’s bowlers were disciplined right from the start.
- The last updates put Namibia at 6/0 after 1.2 overs. The openers were clearly hesitant, but with a mountain of runs to chase in front of them, merely being cautious was never going to work.
- By this stage they needed at least one batsman to step up with a game changing innings of 70+. Without it, chasing 200+ against a determined Zimbabwe team felt nearly impossible.
Memorable Moments of the Match
1. Zimbabwe’s Impactful Opening Stand:
The partnership between Bennett and Marumani contributed to runs and tiring Namibia’s energy in the field.
2. Speed-up during the death overs:
Burl’s quick arrival, and Raza’s intensity, propelled Zimbabwe past 200, which made it seem as if Zimbabwe was more mentally aware of their advantage.
3. Volschenk’s double strike:
His two wickets came precisely when Zimbabwe was seemingly invincible. If not for his strikes, Zimbabwe would have scored over 220.
4. Namibia’s Missed Chances:
Namibia set themselves back by at least 15–20 runs with a few dropped catches and poor fielding. These errors can be pivotal in high-scoring matches.
Player of the Match: Brian Bennett
There were no surprises here. Brian Bennett’s 94 runs off 51 balls was certainly the highlight of the match. It was great to see his ability to hit the ball and his fearless batting against the Zimbabwe seamers. This will surely help his confidence leading into the upcoming qualifiers.
What it means for the Series:
- Zimbabwe: The home team seems in great shape. The batters are executing well, and if they can maintain their consistency with the ball Zimbabwe could be in control of the remainder of the series.
- Namibia: Though the defeat is disappointing, this game serves as an important lesson. Namibia need to improve their bowling at the back end, and they need to be more aggressive batting in the powerplay. If Namibia want to fight back then players like Erasmus, JJ Smit and Loftie-Eaton need to improve their performance.
Looking Ahead: 2nd & 3rd T20Is
The next two games are important to Namibia because, beyond the series itself, they will gain vital momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final 2025
For Zimbabwe, they will hope to win the series during the 2nd T20I and give young players the opportunity during the 3rd.
Conclusion
The first T20I between Zimbabwe and Namibia was a cricketing showcase and Zimbabwe continued to prove their dominance in African cricket. Bennett was great with the bat scoring 94 would have been impressive enough but combined with a total of 204 for the home side, shows skill and confidence.
Namibia made a good effort with ball and bat but struggled to get the accuracy to surpass those high-pressure moments within a match. With 2 T20Is remaining the series isn’t over yet, however, with only 2 days turnaround, Namibia will need to regroup quickly to face Zimbabwe.
As the first T20I has set the tone for an exciting series, it will be fantastic to watch the matches unfold, and the spectators are in for some exciting times ahead.