In the bilateral T20I series, Namibia came from 0-1 down to win 2-1, including posting 204/7 and bowling Zimbabwe out for 176.
Sixteen days later, Zimbabwe beat Namibia by 7 wickets in the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final to claim Africa’s WC qualification spot.
The same Zimbabwe team that lost the bilateral series won the match that mattered most. This page gives you every scorecard from all four Namibia vs Zimbabwe meetings in 2025 including the full bilateral series and the ICC T20 WC Africa Regional Final along with the stories, records, and performances that defined each match.
NAM vs ZIM: all 2025 Meetings at a Glance
Updated Head-to-head Record (T20Is)
| Metric | Zimbabwe | Namibia |
|---|---|---|
| Total T20I meetings (all time) | 17 | 17 |
| Wins | 9 | 8 |
| Highest team total (in this fixture) | 211/3 (Sep 15, 2025) | 204/7 (Sep 18, 2025) |
| Lowest team total (in this fixture) | 93 (2023) | 101 (2023) |
All four 2025 meetings
| Date | Match | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15, 2025 | 1st T20I (Bilateral) | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | ZIM won by 33 runs |
| Sep 16, 2025 | 2nd T20I (Bilateral) | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | ZIM won by 5 wickets |
| Sep 18, 2025 | 3rd T20I (Bilateral) | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | NAM won by 28 runs |
| Oct 4, 2025 | Final (ICC T20 WC Africa Regional Final) | Harare Sports Club, Harare | ZIM won by 7 wickets |
1st T20I scorecard: Zimbabwe 211/3 beat Namibia 178/7 by 33 runs (Bulawayo, Sep 15)
Match info
| Date | September 15, 2025 |
| Venue | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo |
| Toss | Namibia won, elected to field |
| Result | Zimbabwe won by 33 runs |
| Zimbabwe highest total in this fixture: | 211/3 — the highest score ever in a ZIM vs NAM T20I |
Zimbabwe innings: 211/3 (20 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Bennett | 94 | 51 | — | — | 184.3 | — |
| Tadiwanashe Marumani | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Others | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Total: 211/3 in 20 overs (RR: 10.55)
| NAM Bowler | O | W | R | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Busing-Volschenk | 4 | 2 | 43 | 10.75 |
| Sikandar Raza (ZIM note: Raza is ZIM) | — | — | — | — |
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Brian Bennett’s 94 off 51: The Innings That Built Zimbabwe’s Biggest Total
Brian Bennett’s 94 off 51 balls was the defining batting performance of the bilateral series. Not a century but a near-century that personally powered Zimbabwe to 211/3, the highest team total in the entire history of ZIM vs NAM T20I cricket.
What people miss: 94 off 51 is not a supporting innings it is a match-building performance that Namibia’s bowlers had no answer for. Zimbabwe’s total of 211 is 30 runs above the next highest in this fixture. Bennett’s 94 is responsible for roughly 45% of that total.
Namibia, set 212, finished on 178/7 Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton top-scored with 38 off 24 balls but the target was always 30+ beyond their realistic ceiling on that surface.
2nd T20I scorecard: Zimbabwe beat Namibia 170/5 vs 169/6 by 5 wickets (Bulawayo, Sep 16)
Match info
| Date | September 16, 2025 |
| Venue | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo |
| Toss | Zimbabwe won, elected to field |
| Result | Zimbabwe won by 5 wickets (11 balls remaining) |
Namibia innings: 169/6 (20 overs)
| Batter | R | B | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton | 47 | 30 | Top scorer |
| Others | — | — | — |
Total: 169/6 in 20 overs
| ZIM Bowler | O | W | R | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Ngarava | 4 | 2 | 25 | Most economical |
| JJ Smit (NAM) | 4 | 2 | 38 | Dismissed Marumani |
Zimbabwe innings: 170/5 (18.1 overs)
| Batter | R | B | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tadiwanashe Marumani | 50 | 36 | Chase anchor |
| Others | — | — | — |
Total: 170/5 in 18.1 overs (won by 5 wickets)
Tadiwanashe Marumani 50: The Quiet Chase Anchor
Zimbabwe needed 170. Marumani’s 50 off 36 provided the platform that allowed Zimbabwe to win with 11 balls to spare. His innings was not explosive it was controlled. On a Bulawayo surface that was offering variation, a 50 off 36 with a composed finish is precisely the innings a chasing team needs from its anchor batter.
Namibia’s JJ Smit (2/38) and the bowling unit restricted Zimbabwe’s batting after Marumant but the 170 target was always 10-15 runs below what this Zimbabwe batting lineup needed to feel threatened.
3rd T20I scorecard: Namibia 204/7 beat Zimbabwe 176 by 28 runs (Bulawayo, Sep 18)
Match info
| Date | September 18, 2025 |
| Venue | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo |
| Toss | Namibia won, elected to bat |
| Result | Namibia won by 28 runs |
| Player of Match | Jan Frylinck (77 off 31 + 4/29) |
| Series result | Namibia won bilateral series 2-1 |
Namibia innings: 204/7 (20 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Frylinck | 77 | 31 | 8 | 6 | 248.39 | c B Taylor b S Raza |
| Louren Steenkamp | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gerhard Erasmus | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Zane Green | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ruben Trumpelmann | — | — | — | — | — | 197/7 (19.3 ov) |
Total: 204/7 in 20 overs (RR: 10.20)
| ZIM Bowler | O | W | R | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikandar Raza | 4 | 3 | 25 | Dismissed Frylinck |
Zimbabwe innings: 176 all out (19.5 overs)
| Batter | R | B | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Williams | 77 | 45 | Top scorer, best chase response |
| Others | — | — | — |
Total: 176/10 in 19.5 overs (Namibia won by 28 runs)
| NAM Bowler | O | W | R | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JJ Smit | — | 4 | 29 | Most wickets, series-winning bowling |
| Jan Frylinck | — | — | — | Player of Match (batting + bowling) |
Jan Frylinck: the greatest all-round match in NAM vs ZIM T20I history
77 off 31 balls: 13-ball fifty, Namibia’s fastest ever
Jan Frylinck’s 77 off 31 balls in the 3rd T20I is categorically the most destructive batting performance in the history of this fixture. His 13-ball half-century is the fastest fifty in Namibia T20I history.
To contextualise 13 balls to fifty: Rohit Sharma’s fastest T20I fifty took 12 balls. Frylinck, playing in a bilateral series between two associate nations in Bulawayo, matched that pace. His strike rate of 248.39 off 31 balls against Zimbabwe’s full bowling attack including Sikandar Raza (3/25) tells you exactly how destructive this innings was.
Fall of wickets shows the context: Steenkamp went at 74-1 (over 4.6). Frylinck departed at 102-2 in over 8.3 meaning he contributed 77 of Namibia’s first 102 runs. By the time he was caught off Raza, Namibia’s innings had the platform for 200+.
4/29With The Ball In The Same Match: The Complete Performance
What no competitor mentions: Frylinck also took 4 wickets in the same match. His 4/29 with the ball, combined with his 77 off 31 with the bat, makes this a genuine all-round match performance one of the best in associate cricket T20I history.
JJ Smit (4/29) was Namibia’s second bowling hero and his four wickets were the ones that ensured Zimbabwe (chasing 205) couldn’t reach even 180. Zimbabwe finished all out for 176 in 19.5 overs a genuine competitive collapse against Namibia’s pace bowling.
Sean Williams’ 77 off 45 for Zimbabwe was the best chase response he scored 44% of his team’s total before departing but it was not enough against Smit and Frylinck’s precision.
Bold observation: Jan Frylinck is the most complete T20I cricketer in Africa outside of Zimbabwe’s three regulars (Raza, Burl, Williams). His 3rd T20I performance top-scored with 77 off 31 AND took 4/29 AND won Player of the Match in a series-deciding game is the kind of performance that earns a player category upgrade in any global franchise system. At the T20 WC 2026, if Namibia make it to the main draw, Frylinck will be their talisman.
ICC T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final scorecard Zimbabwe 171/3 beat Namibia 167/6 by 7 wickets (Harare, Oct 4)
What was at stake: Africa’s ICC T20 World Cup qualification spot
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final on October 4, 2025 at the Harare Sports Club determined Africa’s T20 World Cup qualifier. Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets chasing 168 and finishing on 171/3 in 19.2 overs. That result confirmed Zimbabwe’s spot in a subsequent ICC qualifying tournament.
The stakes made this the most important ZIM vs NAM game ever played. A bilateral series is a preparation event this was a World Cup qualifier.
Namibia innings: 167/6 (20 overs)
| Batter | R | B | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton | — | — | Fell early |
| Jan Frylinck | — | — | Fell early (5-1 in WC Final) |
| Others | — | — | — |
Total: 167/6 in 20 overs (RR: 8.35)
| ZIM Bowler | O | W | R | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Burl | — | 1 | 31 | Controlled spin |
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Namibia’s start was disastrous Frylinck fell at 5/1 and Loftie-Eaton at 19/2. Without their two most explosive batters, Namibia’s 167 was always 15-20 runs below what Zimbabwe would find difficult to chase.
Zimbabwe’s chase: 171/3 in 19.2 overs (Marumani POTM)
Total: 171/3 in 19.2 overs (won by 7 wickets, 4 balls remaining)
Tadiwanashe Marumani who had anchored Zimbabwe’s Match 2 bilateral series chase with 50 off 36 was again Zimbabwe’s chase talisman in the Final. He won Player of the Match.
Result: Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets. Zimbabwe qualified from Africa for ICC T20 World Cup pathway.
The “series winner, qualifier loser” paradox — the defining story of NAM vs ZIM 2025
This is the story that nobody told and it is the most instructive cricket narrative from African cricket in 2025.
Namibia won the bilateral series: 2-1 (lost Match 1 by 33 runs, won Match 2 by 28 runs after Zimbabwe won Match 2 by 5 wickets). They had beaten Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe, on Zimbabwe’s home grounds.
Sixteen days later, Zimbabwe beat Namibia by 7 wickets in the ICC T20 WC Africa Regional Final the only game that actually determined World Cup qualification.
Why the reversal?
- Venue shift: The Regional Final was played at Harare Sports Club a different surface from Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club. Zimbabwe batters perform better on the Harare surface.
- Pressure format: A bilateral series is experimental. A knockout final raises the threshold for risk-taking. Namibia’s top two (Frylinck at 5/1, Loftie-Eaton at 19/2) fell early under the pressure of a World Cup qualifier something that didn’t happen in Bulawayo.
- Zimbabwe’s bowling adjusted: Ryan Burl and the Zimbabwe spin attack which had been hammered in Match 3 in Bulawayo adjusted their lines. Burl’s 1/31 is not the figure that tells the story it’s that Namibia scored at 8.35 per over, not the 10.20 they had managed in Bulawayo.
- Marumani’s consistency: He anchored two different chases (bilateral Match 2, Regional Final) confirming he is Zimbabwe’s most reliable big-occasion batter.
The counterintuitive lesson: In associate cricket, winning a bilateral series tells you which team has better squad depth. Winning a knockout qualifier tells you which team handles pressure better. Zimbabwe had both in 2025 just not simultaneously.
NAM vs ZIM updated Head-to-head (all T20Is)
| Metric | Zimbabwe | Namibia |
|---|---|---|
| Total T20I meetings | 17 | 17 |
| Total wins | 9 | 8 |
| Highest total (this fixture) | 211/3 (Sep 15, 2025 — Bennett 94) | 204/7 (Sep 18, 2025 — Frylinck 77) |
| Lowest total (this fixture) | 93 (2023) | 101 (2023) |
| Home record (ZIM at home) | Strong — won bilateral 2-1 initially then Regional Final | — |
| Best individual batting (this fixture) | Brian Bennett 94 off 51 | Jan Frylinck 77 off 31 (SR 248.39) |
| Best bowling (this fixture) | Sikandar Raza 3/25 (3rd T20I, 2025) | JJ Smit 4/29 (3rd T20I, 2025) |
Key players: NAM vs ZIM 2025 performer breakdown
Zimbabwe:
- Brian Bennett: 94 off 51 (1st T20I) Built Zimbabwe’s all-time highest total in this fixture
- Tadiwanashe Marumani: 50 off 36 (2nd T20I, 4-wkt Regional Final chase) + Player of the Match in the ICC Regional Final — Zimbabwe’s most consistent batter across all four meetings
- Sikandar Raza: 3/25 (3rd T20I) — Dismissed Frylinck, most economical ZIM spinner; the bowling performance that kept Namibia below 220+
- Richard Ngarava: 2/25 (2nd T20I) — Zimbabwe’s best powerplay bowling option
Namibia:
- Jan Frylinck: 77 off 31 (SR 248.39, 13-ball fifty) + 4/29 in same match The series Player of the Tournament for Namibia. His Match 3 performance is the best all-round T20I performance in Namibia’s cricket history
- JJ Smit: 4/29 (3rd T20I) Namibia’s bowling hero who restricted Zimbabwe to 176 chasing 205
- Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton: 47 off 30 (2nd T20I), 38 off 24 (1st T20I) Zimbabwe’s most persistent Namibian top-order threat; fell for 0 early in the Regional Final, which cost Namibia significantly
- Zane Green: Consistent wicket-keeper batter who fell at 144-6 in 3rd T20I Zimbabwe’s most impactful ‘keeper-batter in this fixture
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What are the results of all Namibia vs Zimbabwe T20I matches in 2025?
Ans. In 2025, Zimbabwe and Namibia played four T20I matches. Zimbabwe won the 1st T20I by 33 runs (ZIM 211/3 beat NAM 178/7, Sep 15, Bulawayo). Zimbabwe won the 2nd T20I by 5 wickets (ZIM 170/5 beat NAM 169/6, Sep 16, Bulawayo). Namibia won the 3rd T20I by 28 runs (NAM 204/7 beat ZIM 176, Sep 18, Bulawayo) — Namibia won the bilateral series 2-1. Zimbabwe won the ICC T20 WC Africa Regional Final by 7 wickets (ZIM 171/3 beat NAM 167/6, Oct 4, Harare).
Q2. Who won the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final 2025?
Ans. Zimbabwe won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final 2025 by 7 wickets on October 4, 2025 at Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe chased 168 and finished 171/3 in 19.2 overs. Tadiwanashe Marumani won Player of the Match.
Q3. What was the full scorecard of the Namibia vs Zimbabwe 3rd T20I 2025?
Ans. Namibia 204/7 in 20 overs (Jan Frylinck 77 off 31, SR 248.39, 8 fours, 6 sixes; Sikandar Raza 3/25). Zimbabwe 176 all out in 19.5 overs (Sean Williams 77 off 45; JJ Smit 4/29, Jan Frylinck 4/29). Namibia won by 28 runs. Player of the Match: Jan Frylinck.
Q4. What was Jan Frylinck’s best performance vs Zimbabwe?
Ans. Jan Frylinck scored 77 off 31 balls (SR 248.39, 8 fours, 6 sixes) AND took 4/29 in the same 3rd T20I match on September 18, 2025 in Bulawayo. His 13-ball half-century is the fastest ever fifty in Namibia T20I history. He won Player of the Match.
Q5. What is the NAM vs ZIM all-time T20I head-to-head record?
Ans. As of October 2025, Zimbabwe lead the all-time T20I head-to-head: 17 matches played, Zimbabwe 9 wins, Namibia 8 wins. Zimbabwe’s highest total in this fixture is 211/3 (Sep 2025). Namibia’s highest is 204/7 (Sep 2025).
Q6. Who scored the highest individual score in ZIM vs NAM T20I history?
Ans. Brian Bennett scored 94 off 51 balls for Zimbabwe against Namibia in the 1st T20I on September 15, 2025 at Bulawayo his innings powered Zimbabwe to 211/3, the highest team total ever in this bilateral fixture.