A seven-hour game in a city finding its cricketing voice

The hotel clerk tried to make conversation, no doubt to take the edge off the mild annoyance of a guest who had had to come all the way to the front desk to fetch a laundry list and bag. And go back to the clerk, bulging bag in hand.

The journey to the ground means turning left into Tennis Street, right into Softball Street - where a road sign telling drivers "caution runners" looms - right into Rugby Street, and left into Netball Street. Cricket does indeed have its own street, but that's on the other side of the grounds.

Yes, grounds. The HPO - which is really an oval, in the lovely, languid, lowkey, village green sense, replete with trees and gazebos - adjoins the Namibia Cricket Ground, which despite its name is more of a stadium. The two venues resemble a Venn diagram in which the circles do not quite overlap. Instead they are separated only by paved walkways from bumping against each other.

Despite the street names, it's difficult to see any sign of tennis or netball courts or softball diamonds. A grim concrete rugby stadium does indeed scud lowly into the sky, as does the decrepit-looking Independence Stadium - the home of Namibian football - across the street. But you can't miss the green, gleaming splendour of the cricket grounds.

The HPO, where cricket has been played since 1959, was previously called Doc Jubber. The pitch used to be concrete and the outfield was covered in gravel. It is now an ICC-accredited venue that hosted 10 games in the women's T20 World Cup Africa qualifier in August and September last year. By the time the under-19 World Cup moves on from Namibia, another eight matches will have been added to the HPO's international record. Along with another eight at the NGC.

The latter, where building began in 2024, was inaugurated as a senior international venue by the men's white-ball teams of Namibia and Canada in March 2025. Its most famous match so far, and doubtless for decades to come, was the men's T20I between the home side and South Africa in October last year.

And how - by four wickets, off the last ball. Zane Green celebrated his 29th birthday by smashing Andile Simelane's low full toss through midwicket for four to seal the victory. The sold-out crowd of around 5,000 were in full party mode long before any of the players left the field. If you listen carefully, you can still hear the locals wincing through the remnants of their hangover headaches from that day. Because this place isn't scared of a beer.

It's also a place that has an interesting relationship with South Africa. It was a colony called German South West Africa from 1884 to 1915, when it became simply South West Africa. But it didn't become its own country then. Instead it was re-colonised by South Africa, which sent its largely conscripted military there to violently oppose the Namibians' bid for freedom, and stop the spread of communism at the Angolan border while they were at it. The futile low-level war dragged on for 23 years, four months, two weeks and six days from 1966 to 1990.

Colonised South West Africa became independent Namibia on March 21, 1990. And has remained a stable, sensible democracy ever since. Maybe because there is space for everyone - there are but 3.1-million people sprinkled around this country of 824,300 square kilometres, which translates into 3.76 square kilometres each - tensions don't often rise beyond manageable levels.

Thus Namibia are long shots for the World Cup. But, by the look of the HPO on Sunday, even if Namibians don't have a home team to shout for, they will turn out. A significant few, anyway: 598 people gathered on their camping chairs under the gazebos and the trees to watch one of the under-19 World Cup's most keenly anticipated contests. They knew the Windies, whatever their woes, are still capable of white-ball wonders, and that the rising Afghans' ambition knows no bounds.

Khalid Ahmadzai and Osman Sadat gave Afghanistan a solid start with a stand of 86. But they slipped to 110/3 after 26 and needed Sadat and Mahboob Khan - who scored 88 and 86 and shared 77 for the fourth - to reach a defendable 262/6, in which new-ball fast bowler Jakeem Pollard and left-arm wrist spinner Vitel Lawes took three wickets each.

The West Indians came out firing with Tanez Francis, Jewel Andrew and Shamar Apple cracking five fours and two sixes inside the powerplay. But they also lost wickets, and were 50/3 after 10. Only Andrew stood firm enough, batting through seven partnerships for his 57 off 70. His towering six down the ground - one of three he hit, along with four fours - off Stanikzai in the 25th appeared to result in injury. Two spectators beyond the long-off boundary converged on the dropping ball and collided, which led to one of them being carried away from the scene in need of medical attention. Andrew's attempt ended in the 29th when he hoisted seamer Khatir Stanikzai high into the air over the covers. Azizullah Miakill made much ground, at some speed, from the deep to take a fine catch.

Off-spinner Wahidullah Zadran shared the new ball and did the early damage, reducing the Windies to 21/3 after six. The mini-Maroons were marched out for 124 in 33.2, with bristling medium pacer Nooristani Omarzai taking 4/16 and Stanikzai and Zadran claiming three each.

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