WATCH: Dejected David Wiese apologises teammates after game-defining dismissal

David Wiese got Namibia tantalisingly close to a win over the UAE on Thursday, but his dismissal proved to be a turning point as the side failed to progress to the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12s stage.
 
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Wiese’s 55 off 36 lifted Namibia from 69/7 in a run-chase of 149.

The final Group A match of the opening round of the T20 World Cup 2022 between the UAE and Namibia in Geelong on Thursday turned out to be a last-over thriller, with two teams seeking a Super 12s berth. As it turned out, UAE held their nerves to seal a seven-run win, their first victory in the T20 World Cup, thereby knocking Namibia too, out of the competition. 

Netherlands, having lost to Sri Lanka earlier in the day, benefitted from UAE’s win to finish second in the points table and progress through.

Namibia were down and out at 69/7 in the 13th over of their run-chase of 149, with Basil Hameed and Zahoor Khan bagging two wickets each. All-rounder David Wiese then combined with Ruben Trumplemann in a brilliant reviving stand of 70 off 44, the highest ever for the eight wicket in Men’s T20 World Cup history.

Wiese got to his second T20I fifty off 31 balls, striking three fours and as many sixes, and was at the centre-stage with his team needing 14 off the final over by Muhammad Waseem. With 10 needed off three, Wiese timed one fairly well downtown, but didn’t get the desired distance to be caught by Alishan Sharafu at long-on.

The batter couldn’t hide his disappointment, and apologised to his teammates for not getting the team over the line.

WATCH: Dejected David Wiese apologises teammates after game-defining dismissal

"He's one of those experienced guys that is a matchwinner. He plays all around the world and lots of the guys in the team have learned a lot from him. He showed once again today that he's world-class, taking it close out of nowhere," Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus said of Wiese after the game.

Earlier, Waseem (50 off 41) and skipper CP Rizwan (43* off 29) led UAE’s charge with the bat after the latter won the toss, helping his side finish 148/3 after 20 overs.

West Indies will be up against Ireland in a must-win Super 12s Group B match in Hobart on Friday, followed by another knock-out face-off between Scotland and Zimbabwe at the same venue.