Photo Credit: Cricket Namibia
The Namibia bowler destroyed Scotland’s top order in the space of one over at the T20 World Cup
Ruben Trumpelmann
3 for 17 vs Scotland, T20 World Cup, Abu Dhabi
In Namibia’s left-arm pace bowling triumvirate for the 2021 T20 World Cup, Trumpelmann was the youngest, and arguably least heralded. JJ Smit had already made his mark as the first Namibian to get a contract in an overseas T20 franchise league when he was inked to play in the 2019 Global T20 Canada. Jan Frylinck had set a record for best figures in men’s T20Is by an Associate bowler with his 6 for 24 on the eve of the T20 World Cup against UAE. However, it was 23-year-old Trumpelmann who made the biggest mark with the ball during Namibia’s only win of the Super 12 stage with an opening over for the ages. He struck three times in the first four balls, reeling in three of Scotland’s biggest fish in the top order: George Munsey, Calum MacLeod and Richie Berrington. To say that the rest of the match was anticlimactic would be a healthy understatement.
Key moment
The wickets of Munsey and MacLeod may look bigger on paper given their reputations in short-form cricket, but Berrington was arguably the biggest blow. Entering the match, Scotland’s stand-in captain had scored 373 runs in the year in T20Is at an average of 62.16 in nine innings with three fifties. Trumpelmann trapped him on the crease with a full inswinger to ensure Scotland were not going to be able to recover from the big hole they found themselves in just one over into the match.
The numbers
1 Number of golden ducks for Berrington, Scotland’s all-time leading scorer in T20Is, in 67 career T20I innings, at the hands of Trumpelmann.16 Dot balls bowled by Trumpelmann in his four-over spell.
What they said
“Ruben sets high standards for himself. He hadn’t quite hit the straps earlier. But today he did and he started off well for us to throw the first punch.”
– Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus
The closest contenders
Sandeep Lamichhane
6 for 11 vs Papua New Guinea, second ODI, Al Amerat
Nepal’s legspinning phenom became just the second Associate bowler to take a six-wicket haul twice in a career. Remarkably for Lamichhane, he accomplished the feat in the space of three matches at the age of 21.JJ Smit
5 for 26 vs Oman, World Cup League two ODI, Windhoek
Standing in for the injured Gerhard Erasmus, Smit became just the 19th men’s captain (and the fifth in the Associate world) to take a five-wicket haul, and in the process nipped a late fightback bid in the bud to complete a 40-run win over league leaders Oman.
