New Delhi, Feb 10 (NationPress) Namibia's head coach Craig Williams acknowledged that his team fell short with the bat during their seven-wicket loss to the Netherlands in their Men’s T20 World Cup Group A match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. He emphasized that lacking sufficient runs invariably puts any team at a disadvantage.

On a challenging pitch, Namibia started their innings with urgency but lacked composure, finishing at 156/8. They briefly rallied thanks to a 52-run partnership between Jan Frylinck and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who was the top scorer with 42 runs.

However, both Frylinck and Loftie-Eaton, along with skipper Gerhard Erasmus, fell short of accelerating the scoring rate, as none of the Namibian batters were able to convert their starts into substantial innings. "From a coaching perspective, we realized we were under par, having missed out on runs during the death overs. We left about 30 runs unscored," Williams stated.

“Our bowlers take immense pride in their craft. They performed admirably, positioning us well around the 13th or 14th over where a couple of wickets could have changed the game,” he added. “Unfortunately, not having enough runs on the board left us at a disadvantage. Losing is always disappointing, especially against a team like the Netherlands, where we expected to perform better. We will focus on the basics from here on out, as the other results didn’t favor us,” Williams remarked during the post-match press conference, responding to a question from IANS.

He also noted that their subpar batting performance required them to play catch-up against the Netherlands, who completed their chase with two overs to spare. "If you analyze the pitch conditions, we were probably 20-30 runs short on the board. Our bowlers did exceptionally well attempting to defend that total," Williams said.

“The Dutch team consistently stayed about 10 runs ahead, making it frustrating. Our batting display was inconsistent, losing wickets throughout the innings, which didn’t allow us to set up a solid finish. Defending that score was always going to be tough," he added.

Looking forward to their next match against India at the same venue on Thursday, Williams emphasized the significance of sticking to the fundamentals. "Against any opponent, there are essential principles that need to be followed. We need someone from our top four to bat for a significant period and establish partnerships. We failed to achieve that today. Facing India won’t be easy, but we aim to adhere to our game plan and take it one ball at a time, hoping for a favorable outcome," he mentioned.

Williams recognized that playing against India on home soil is a unique opportunity. "As a professional team, we strive to perform our roles regardless of the opponent. However, I must admit that facing India in India is something we look forward to eagerly. It promises to be an exciting match for all our supporters back home. We want to deliver a strong performance and stick to our game strategy, letting the results unfold naturally," he said.

He also highlighted the importance of preparation for evening matches, especially against India. "We have a night session planned. Adapting to play under lights can be challenging since we don’t have much experience doing so. We faced India in 2021, and that was quite demanding for us as well. Our goal is to prepare effectively, ensuring our players are in the right mental space. Our team is currently in excellent form, despite today’s disappointing result. We are focused on preparing for the game under lights and putting our players in the best possible position for success," Williams concluded.