Twenty20 matches between Ireland Wolves and a Namibian team (March 21)in Namibia had to be cancelled after lightning struck near the match on Monday, March 21. The game was finally given to the home team since they were ahead on the DLS system.
“The lightning hit at a place very close to the ground. The umpires called the players off the field due to dangerous lightning. The match was already impacted by rain and the umpires had to call the match off,” Johan Muller, the CEO of Namibia Cricket (NC), told Cricbuzz on Monday night.
The match was held at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Namibia’s capital city of Windhoek. The Wolves, Ireland’s second-string team, are in Namibia, which was a surprise package in last year’s Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE, having qualified for the Super 12 stage, for an eight-match series consisting of three T20s and five 50-over games.
“The Wolves looked well in the hunt and closing in on what would be a dramatic low-scoring win. However, nearby lightning strikes near the ground and dark clouds overhead stopped the game shortly after, with the Namibians ahead of Duckworth-Lewis by two runs,” Cricket Ireland said.
The captain of the Ireland Wolves, Neil Rock, stated that he did not feel threatened by the cloud burst. “No, I don’t think so. As soon as it got close, the umpires pulled us. It was just unfortunate because we really felt in the game at that point.”
Namibia was 41 for four when the match was called off, behind by 91 points. It was a day game that got underway to a late start due to continuous rains. It was finally shortened to an 18-overs game.
Follow MadOverCricket for the latest cricket news, cricket match updates, live cricket scores, cricket series updates, and more!
