Fortuin, Hermann and Esterhuizen headline South Africa's 3-0 sweep

Led by Bjorn Fortuin’s 4-fer, and backed up by a 150-run stand between openers, Jordan Hermann and Connor Esterhuizen, South Africa cruised to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Namibia in the third ODI at the Namibia Cricket Ground, on Sunday, and secured a 3-0 whitewash.

Opting to bat, Namibia lost Michael van Lingen and Jan Frylinck early. Alexander Volschenk and Louren Steenkamp steadied the innings briefly, holding fort for almost 14 overs en route their 53-run partnership. However, once Steemkamp was tricked by Fortuin’s sharp turning delivery, and cleaned up, a brief collapse followed. Alexander Volschenk was run out off the next ball while risking a second run, and Gerhard Erasmus followed them to the pavilion soon after.

The three strikes in the space of 11 balls had reduced Namibia to 79 for 5, and there was no stoppage to that leak of wickets thereafter. Zane Green offered some resistance from one end, stroking four boundaries in his 32, but kept watching a series of partners getting dismissed on the other side.

Reduced to 125 for 9, No.11 Max Heingo tested his hard-hitting skills, smoking Nqabayomzi Peter for two boundaries and a six off successive deliveries in the 34th over. He followed it up by depositing Fortuin over the ropes as well, hitting the sightscreen down the ground. But his entertainment lasted only six balls as Green was undone by Kwena Maphaka’s slower ball.

South Africa had little trouble chasing the meagre total down. Hermann cracked three boundaries off Ruben Trumpelmann in the fifth over to make the visitors’ intentions clear that they didn’t want to hang around for too long in the quest of 157. Hermann survived two chances - in the 8th and 13th over - but refused to slow down. Two balls after being dropped the first time, he brought up the team’s 50 by whipping Jack Brassell uppishly through the mid wicket region. And then, brought up his own half-century by lapping Erasmus for a four off the 39th ball of his stay.

Esterhuizen may have played the second fiddle in the partnership, but he too marched to his half-century soon after Waldo Smith was taken apart for three boundaries in an over. With the victory in sight, Hermann’s stay was ended with a yorker from Smith.

However, Dewald Bravis ensured the celebrations weren’t delayed as he struck Heingo for a six over backward square leg off only his second ball of the stay to wrap up the series.

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