"Incredible journey, last year was a special experience for us. We've started a great win, but lot of work to do throughout this tournament still. It's been a historic day for us. The opening day has been quite special but we want to kick on from here and qualify for the Super 12 stage. We understand the bigger picture as well. 

"Credit goes to Pierre [de Bruyn] the way he has installed coaching to this team, one that's a winning culture and one that sticks together. With the limited resources, I don't think there's anyone else that could run such a tight ship."

"The surface played really well, but we didn't execute well with the ball. Didn't bowl in the right areas and that's a concern. Once we lose three wickets in the powerplay, we are usually out of the game. 

"The plans should be simple, we need not do anything special. We got a good team, it's about the process. When we are chasing 160, we need need some partnerships. Need the openers to come good and the No. 3 to click."

"I'm a little bit speechless at the moment. What we just achieved is above what we thought we could do. I am just very excited at this point of time. JJ just came in and took a little bit of pressure off me with a lot of boundaries. Myself and JJ got us to a competitive total and the bowlers were just unbelievable. 

"It [The surface] was a little bit two-paced, the good lengths were hard to get away. Other than that, it played rather true and you could just hit on the up. We just stuck to our plans [with the ball], tried to hit good lengths and let them make the mistakes."

NAMIBIA HAVE BEATEN SRI LANKA BY 55 RUNS! What a start to the T20 World Cup this year. The first big upset of the World Cup and it is the Eagles who have flown high to bring the Asian champions down. 

Namibia scored 68 off the final five overs to put up 163 on the board and with the ball, they kept the pressure and picked up wickets at regular intervals. Wiese, Scholtz, Shikongo and Frylinck picked up two wickets apiece.

Not to forget, Frylinck and Smit put on 70 for the seventh wicket in quick time to put Namibia in a commanding position.

Nobody really got going with the bat for Sri Lanka with just Rajapaksa (20) and Shanaka (29) getting past 20.

A win that Namibia will remember forever, and rightly so!

100 comes up for Sri Lanka but they are going to fall well short of their target today. The last wicket pair of Theekshana and Chameera are just content with playing out the rest of the overs without being bowled out. The more they score, the better it would look on the net run-rate. It could prove pivotal when it comes down to making it to the Super 12s.

Things get from bad to worse for Sri Lanka as Pramod Madushan is run-out without facing a single delivery. Karunaratne looks for a quick single, but Michael Van Lingen is aware of that and does a terrific job to return the ball to the 'keeper who does the rest.

Madushan run out Van Lingen 0 (0)

Zane Green takes yet another superb catch to give Jan Frylinck his second wicket and Namibia their seventh. It is the big wicket of Dasyn Shanaka. It is certainly Namibia's to lose from here. What a win this will be!

Shanaka c Green b Frylinck 29 (23)

A strange innings from Wanindu Hasaranga comes to an end. He looks to clear deep mid-wicket but Loftie-Eaton covers a lot of ground to take a good diving catch in the end. Sri Lanka in deep trouble now and a lot now depends on Shanaka. Scholtz has his second.

Hasaranga c Loftie-Eaton b Scholtz

A timely wicket for Namibia as Bhanuka Rajapaksa hits one straight into the hands of Divan la Cock at deep mid-wicket to give Bernard Scholtz his first wicket. The partnership between Rajapaksa and Shanaka was going well having added 34 off 24 to steady the ship. 

Shanaka now holds the key and is joined by Wanindu Hasaranga.

Rajapaksa c La Cock b Scholtz 20 (21) 

Short from Frylinck and Dasun Shanaka just sits back and whacks it over deep square-leg. A much needed six for Sri Lanka as they look to get back into this game.

10 off that over from Ben Shikongo, a much-needed one for Sri Lanka. Shikongo did find Rajapaksa's edge in that over, but with no slips in place the ball raced away into the fence. Sri Lanka have brought up their 50 in that over.

A good time to recap what Namibia assistant coach Albie Morkel had told Cricket.com.

I can just go back to when we started there four years ago, there was nothing going on there in the club systems, the school systems. Cricket wasn’t that big, it was almost like a forgotten sport. With the way the boys have played, with the success they’ve had, they’ve awakened a small little giant in Namibia. 

Kids are actively playing, you can see the Under-19s coming through and the general support from the public. These guys are being recognised in the streets now and that’s a sign that as a sportsman if you can do well and the people acknowledge you means you’re doing something right.

FULL INTERVIEW

After a superb display with the bat, Jan Frylinck has struck in his very first over. Dhananjaya looks to flick the ball but only manages to find Shikongo at fine-leg. Sri Lanka are in deep trouble here as Namibia continue to chip away at them.

Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka is the new batter.

Dhananjaya c Shikongo b Frylinck 12 (11)

A superb powerplay for Namibia. They have Sri Lanka in a spot of bother having picked up three wickets and will hope to keep at it in the middle phase. The next 4-5 overs could prove to be crucial for both sides and give a clear indication of which way the match is heading.

Sri Lanka have Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dhananjaya de Silva in the middle, who would look to build a solid partnership and take Sri Lanka to safety.

What's happening here? Sri Lanka have lost both their openers with Pathum Nissanka being the latest one. He looks to clear the mid-on fielder but he finds JJ Smit there, who takes a simple catch to give Ben Shikongo his first wicket. Shikongo also removes Danushka Gunathilaka off the first ball, caught behind.

Pathum Nissanka c Smit b Shikongo 9 (10)

Danushka Gunathilaka c Green b Shikongo 0 (1)

Namibia draw first blood. David Wiese removes Kusal Mendis early and it is  just the start Namibia would have wanted after they put up 163 on the board. A shortish delivery from Wiese and Mendis looks to pull. It takes the top-edge and Zane Green takes a simple catch.

Dhananjaya de Silva walks in at No. 3.

Mendis c Green b Wiese 6 (6)

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis will look to get Sri Lanka off to a steady start in pursuit of 164. For Namibia, powerplay will be crucial as they start with the off-spin of Gerhard Erasmus. Sri Lanka start well as Erasmus bowls short and Nissanka pulls it into the fence.

What a finish! Namibia have scored 68 runs in the last five overs to put up 163 on the board. It eventually came down the the magnificent seventh-wicket stand between Jan Frylinck (44 off 28) and JJ Smit (31* off 16) who put on 69 off just 34 deliveries. 

With that, Namibia have given themselves a terrific chance of defeating Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka were on top till the last five overs before which they had picked up six wickets. But in the end, it will be Namibia who will walk off with the momentum.

Will we see a huge upset today or will the Asian champions prove their worth and walk away with the two points? Chase in a bit.

What a partnership this has been. Frylinck and Smit have put on 57 off just 28 deliveries so far, with the penultimate over fetching them 18, helping them breach the 150-mark. What an amazing partnership this has been!

What an over for Namibia! Chamika Karunaratne's 18th over is an expensive one as he gives away as many as 16 runs in that over. Both Smit and Frylinck have been severe on the bowlers so far and could potentially even get up to 150 from here. That would be a huge confidence booster.

In this match, whenever Sri Lankan pacers have bowled back of a length or short, NAM batters have scored at a strike-rate of 153. When bowled on good length (82) or full (118), they have scored below 120.

JJ Smit gets into the act as well as he whacks Hasaranga over deep square-leg fence. Namibia are looking to target the shorter boundaries in the final stages of the innings and so far, Smit and Frylinck have executed it quite well.

100 up for Namibia and they get there with a superb pull from Jan Frylinck off Chameera. Namibia finally seem to be getting a move on. They have not been able to get as many boundaries as they would have liked given the dimensions of the ground. But they have managed to pick up plenty of twos, which is the second best option at the moment.  

What an anti-climax. David Wiese is out caught behind off the very first delivery to give Maheesh Theekshana his first wicket. It was the faintest of edges and Kusal Mendis was very confident that it had taken some part of the bat. He was vindicated after Wiese referred it and was not overturned.

Wiese c Mendis b Theekshana 0 (1)

After Erasmus, Sri Lanka pick up the wicket of Stephan Baard as well. He misses out on a full toss and just hits it to the man at fine leg. Dhananjaya de Silva takes a good catch running in to hand Pramod Madushan yet another wicket.

What a time for David Wiese to walk in! He will be pivotal to Namibia's chances of reaching a decent total.

Baard c Dhananjaya b Madushan 26 (24)

Superb start to the over as Jan Frylinck pulls Pramod Madushan into the fine-leg fence. Namibia will hope for a few more over the next few overs.  

Stephan Baard sweeps Hasaranga into the fence to pick up the first boundary of the middle-overs. He continue to innovate with a few reverse-sweeps as well. But he loses his partner Gerhard Erasmus at the other end, to end a 41-run stand.

Jan Frylinck comes in ahead of Wiese and Smit as he gives a left-hand batting option

Gerhard Erasmus c Gunathilaka b Hasaranga 20 (24)

At the halfway stage of the innings, Namibia have done well not to lose any further wickets after losing three in the powerplay. Sri Lanka have given away just ones and twos so far and will be happy with the progress they have made. However, they will hope to kick on from here.

50 up for Namibia in the eighth over. It has not been easy for the Eagles so far and with the introduction of Wanindu Hasaranga, their task gets even tougher. Can Baard and Erasmus negotiate him successfully?

Really interested to see how Namibia fares - a rising nation both on and off the field. Have some influential administrators behind the scene. Namibia is co-hosting the 2027 ODI World Cup with South Africa and Zimbabwe #T20WorldCup

— Tristan Lavalette (@trislavalette) October 16, 2022

That's the end of the powerplay. It has been an entertaining first six overs. Sri Lanka will be content having picked up three wickets, while for Namibia, it will be a question of their middle-order stepping up to the plate. They have the experienced duo of Gerhard Erasmus and Stephan Baard at the crease, who will look to set a platform. With power-hitters like David Wiese, JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck to come, Namibia will hope to put up a formidable total on the board.

Nicol Loftie-Eaton cuts loose. He takes on Chamika Karunaratne, who he dispatches for a four in the long-off region and then drives it over the cover fence for another six. However, Karunaratne has the last laugh as he has him caught behind after a promising innings. 

Loftie-Eaton c Mendis b Karunaratne 20 (12)

A short delivery on Loftie-Eaton's hips from Chameera and the southpaw clobbers it over the fine-leg fence to bring up the first six of the tournament. Namibia will hope that it is the first of many for them today.

Another scalp for Sri Lanka. This time Divan la Cock, looked to break the shackles but fails to clear the in-field finding Dasun Shanaka at mind-on. Another blow for Namibia, but Sri Lanka will be over the moon after dismissing the openers in quick succession. Stephan Baard walks in at No. 4.

Divan la Cock c Shanaka b Madushan 9 (9)

Dushmantha Chameera strikes off his very first over. Chameera finds Van Lingen's outside edge and the ball flies to the third man fielder who takes a simple catch. Good start for Sri Lanka after they elected to bowl first. 

Nicol Loftie-Eaton is the new batter for Namibia.

Michael Van Lingen c Madushan b Chameera 3 (6)

Michael Van Lingen and Divan la Cock open for Namibia with Maheesh Theekshana bowling the first over of the tournament. It promises to be a cracking encounter and a lot will depend on the first six overs. If Namibia can get off to a decent start, with the middle-order they have, they can give the Asia Cup winners a run for their money.

Sri Lanka have won the toss and have chosen to bowl first. Namibia have gone in with two- left-arm pacers in JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck. David Wiese and Ben Shikongo give them the right-arm fast options along with spinners Bernard Scholtz and Nicol Loftie-Eaton.

NAM XI: Divan la Cock, Michael van Lingen, Stephan Baard, David Wiese, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Zane Green (wk), Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have given Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara a go. As expected, Charith Asalanka misses out.

SL XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madhushan, Maheesh Theekshana

Netherlands batter, Tom Cooper who has played a lot of domestic cricket in Australia and also in the Big Bash League, says it is drop-in wicket in Geelong and there could be plenty of runs on offer today.

“It being a drop in wicket, it’s sort of been dependent on the weather, it is under-prepared sometimes. Last year, during the Big Bash the Perth Scorchers, who almost had it as a home away from home, we saw some really high scores where 200 was scored and chased down quite often," Cooper said in a chat with Cricket.com.

“Hopefully, as I guess everywhere with drop in pitches they’ve got better with the technology they have these days. So, hopefully, we’ll have plenty of runs and some high-scoring games.”

Other than getting David Wiese on board, Albie Morkel played a key role in getting left-arm pacer Ruben Trumpelmann, a student at the University of Pretoria, on board. In his brief career with the Namibian side, Trumpelmann has made impact which includes three wickets in the first over of the match against Scotland in the previous edition.

He talks to Cricket.com about his journey, how he managed to juggle cricket and studies, what prompted to make the switch and much more.

Since he retired from professional cricket, Albie Morkel has takenup the mantle at Namibia as an assistant coach under his compatriot Pierre de Bruyn. In the last four years or so, Namibia have earned an ODI status, are on the verge of playing the 50-over World Cup Qualifier and are now playing their second T20 World Cup in two years.

In an exclusive chat with Cricket.com, the former South Africa all-rounder talks about how the structure in Namibian cricket has improved over the years and the players are getting their due recognition.

It's T20 World Cup time! Hello and welcome to the first match of the tournament - A group A clash between Sri Lanka and Namibia at the Simonds Stadium, Geelong. Sri Lanka go into the tournament high on confidence after winning the Asia Cup, while Namibia, on the other hand, play their second World Cup in as many years.

Sri Lanka have a couple of injury scares. Charith Asalanka is almost certain to miss this match due to a niggle, while there is a bad news in the bowling department as well as Dilshan Madhushanka could be ruled out of the tournament. We can expect Dhananjaya de Silva and Lahiru Kumara slot into the XI if that's the case.

It will be interesting to see the combination Namibia go with for this game. They have four left-arm pacers in the squad. They might consider going in with three of them plus the all-round option of David Wiese, the left-arm spin option of Bernard Scholtz and Ben Shikongo, the right-arm pacer who picked up three wickets in four deliveries in the warm-up game against Ireland.

Sri Lanka got the better of Namibia in the last World Cup, but with plenty of cricket under Namibia's belt in the last year or so, they cannot be discounted from putting up a much better fight and potentially cause an upset in the early stages.

Will that be the case today? Or Will Sri Lanka prove their might again? Toss and team news shortly.

Just under 2 hours to go for the first ball to be bowled. Bit cloudy, but Kardinia Park’s looking good #T20WorldCup #SLvNAM https://t.co/ZO7NJSAwHg pic.twitter.com/WxYCroVjaN

— Estelle Vasudevan (@Estelle_Vasude1) October 16, 2022