New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Namibia head coach Craig Williams admitted their side fell short with the bat in a seven-wicket defeat to the Netherlands in their Men’s T20 World Cup Group A clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, adding that the lack of runs on board is always going to put anyone on the backfoot.

On a sticky pitch, Namibia’s innings began with plenty of urgency but little composure, as they were restricted to 156/8. Namibia briefly recovered through a 52-run stand between Jan Frylinck and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who top-scored with 42.

But the duo and skipper Gerhard Erasmus fell in their bid to up the tempo, as none of the Namibian batters managed to convert their starts into a defining knock. “Look, from a coaching point of view, we always knew we were a bit short because we missed out on our own death overs batting, so we left 30 runs out there.

“But, our bowling units, I mean, they’ve got a lot of pride in what they do. I think the guys bowled extremely well, actually. To actually get ourselves in a position at the 13th, 14th over where if you got one or two wickets you actually might have had a chance.

“So the guys executed really well in terms of their birding plans but unfortunately just not having enough runs on the board is always going to put you on the back foot. It’s obviously disappointing losing, especially against such a team, as that’s when you back yourself. We’re just going to stick to the basics today, and the other result didn’t go away,” said Williams, while replying to a query from IANS in the post-match press conference.

He also felt the underwhelming batting effort meant they were left to play catch-up against the Netherlands, who completed the chase with two overs to spare. “We were probably 20-30 runs short on the board if you look at the conditions of the pitch. I reckon our bowlers did a really good effort to try and defend that.

“But the Dutch boys were always 10 runs ahead of us, so it’s obviously disappointing. If you look at our batting display, losing wickets throughout the innings, we didn’t really set ourselves up for a good death. So, I reckon it was always going to be a challenge defending that score,” added Williams.

Looking ahead to their next fixture against India at the same venue on Thursday, Williams stressed on the importance of sticking to basics. “Regardless of who you play, as a batting unit or team, there are certain basics that you need to follow. I mean, it’s as simple as that.

“We need someone in our top four to bat for a prolonged period of time and then you need partnerships. We weren’t able to tick those boxes today. So look, playing against India won’t be easier, obviously. But if we can stick to our game plan, and let’s say, take one ball at a time, and hopefully the result will then go our way,” he added.

The prospect of facing India in India was acknowledged as a special occasion by Williams. “Look, we’re a professional team, so we’re just trying to do our jobs regardless of the opposition, but I’m going to be honest with you – playing India in India. I mean that’s we all talk about how it’s going to be a great game for us.

“The spectacle is going to be fantastic for everyone back home as well. Like I said, as a professional team, we want to put on a good show and hopefully we’re going to stick to our game plan and then we’ll see what happens at the end of the day.”

Preparation under lights was also highlighted as a key factor by Williams in trying to give India a tough fight in the evening game. “Look, all we can do is we’ve got a night session planned; I’m just going to be honest with you – for us to play under lights it’s always going to be difficult because we don’t play that much under lights.

“I mean we played against India (in 2021) and that was also quite tough for us so we always prepare as best we can, get the guys in a good mental space and tick all the boxes. Our team is in a fantastic space at the moment – I know another result today didn’t go well.

“But the way we’ve been playing cricket, lately, the vibe in our change room, our fitness levels and everything is in a really, really good space. So preparing for India under lights will obviously tick our boxes and try to put the guys in best position that they can to be able to have a successful game.”

–IANS

nr/