Connor Esterhuizen's ODI century helped Proteas defeat Namibia and win the series

The Proteas team secured its first-ever victory over Namibia in the ODI format, which took place in Windhoek on Wednesday. The visitors significantly outperformed the hosts in this historic first match between the South African teams.

The arriving players scored 348/6 before heavy rain interrupted Namibia's innings. When the players returned to the field, the situation became difficult for the hosts, and Namibia managed only 162/8, allowing Proteas to win by 99 runs according to DLS rules.

Key moments of the match according to IOL Sport

Zahir Adams highlighted five key moments of this confrontation:

• Jordan Hermann provided Shukri Conrad with 150 reasons to pay attention to him. Proteas coach Shukri Conrad recently spoke about overcrowding in the top part of the ODI squad and that he would give everyone a 'fair chance' to make themselves known before next year's World Cup. The left-handed Warriors player came into the spotlight after his magnificent contribution of 150 runs off 126 balls (17 fours, 3 sixes) in his debut ODI. Hermann also joined his Proteas teammate Matthew Britske as the only batter to score 150 runs in his first One Day International.

• Some satisfaction for Tony de Zorzi. During the T20I series, the left-handed WP Cobras player was going through a tough period watching young batting members score runs in matches against Zimbabwe and Namibia. However, Conrad values De Zorzi, especially in the longer white-ball format, and the stylish left-hander justified this trust by scoring 72 runs off 84 balls. Over the last year in ODIs, his average has reached 44.8.

• Devald Brevis needs to work on himself more. After Brevis was dropped from the Proteas squad for the upcoming series against Australia, there was much concern. However, the 21-year-old player must demonstrate the ability to change pace and score centuries, rather than just playing a supporting role, as he did again on Wednesday, scoring another 33 runs off 28 balls.

• Support for Kweyn Maphaka. The young left-arm fast bowler was not in top form in T20, but in ODIs Maphaka has more time to stabilize his lines and lengths, and this reflected in a significantly improved game. The 20-year-old player bowled quickly and earned a reward in the form of two wickets, finishing the match with figures of 2/32.

• Prenealan Subreena's best career four-wicket haul. Proteas has many options for left-arm spinners, but they are quite weak in terms of off-spinners. Therefore, there was concern last season regarding Subreena's style of play. But after intensive rehabilitation, he passed ICC tests and looks like a much more confident bowler who will deliver excellent results with his 4/29.

Proteas' batter, Connor Esterhuizen, delivered his best performance in the T20I format, scoring 88 runs against Namibia on Friday. This success allowed Proteas to secure a spot in the final of the three-match series, which will take place on Sunday against Zimbabwe.

Esterhuizen believes that Proteas' narrow victory over Namibia provided the team with valuable momentum heading into the T20I three-series final on Sunday, and also highlighted the importance of adapting to various roles.

He played a key role in the win, which was achieved by 11 runs at the cricket ground in Namibia. Esterhuizen scored 88 runs off just 40 balls, participating in a record partnership of 156 runs with Lhuandre Pretorius.

The 22-year-old athlete had the opportunity to come onto the field early in the innings and maximized this chance, but he emphasized that he feels comfortable playing in any position in the squad. After the match, Esterhuizen stated: 'I don't know if I feel a little more comfortable at the start. I did that quite a lot. I think I played almost everywhere from first to seventh place in my T20 career.' He added that he is proud of his versatility and ready to play wherever the coaching staff or team requires.

The partnership between Esterhuizen and Pretorius gave South Africa an ideal start, reaching 70 runs without loss in the powerplay. Ultimately, South Africa posted 228/4, but Namibia managed to provide serious competition, losing by only 11 runs.

Although Pretorius managed to score his first century in T20I, Esterhuizen's 88 runs were his highest score in this format for South Africa. Both players complemented each other well, and Esterhuizen noted that their contrasting personalities helped maintain the pace. He mentioned that during the game with Lhuandre, who is 'super focused and always looking for the opponent,' he himself can sometimes be 'a little nervous, so I just look for jokes, friendly conversation, and laughter with one of my friends I play with. That way we boost each other up perfectly.'

Esterhuizen acknowledged that defending such a high score on a good pitch will always be a difficult task. He also commented on the game from a bowling perspective, noting that it was 'simply damage control.' He stressed that restricting the opponent below the target score was a big effort given the good condition of the pitch.

The victory advanced Proteas to the final on Sunday against Zimbabwe, where Esterhuizen expects a much tougher confrontation. He noted that since the trophy is at stake, it is a great opportunity for a win. He also recognized the strength of the Zimbabwe team and the need to be in top form to prevail.

Following this, the ODI series will give young Proteas players another chance to gain valuable experience in 50-over formats before next year's Cricket World Cup. When asked what he looks forward to most in the format change, Esterhuizen replied that it would be great to have a bit more time to play. He added that since they rarely play ODIs or 50-over cricket, it will be a great step towards the upcoming World Cup in their home country and a wonderful time to play in the 50-over format. He concluded: 'And for some of us young guys, to raise our hand while the other guys aren't here, I think it will be an amazing time.'

On Friday, Proteas' opening batsman, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, scored his first century in the T20I match against Namibia. Thanks to this, South Africa was able to overcome the energetic resistance of the Namibian team and win by 11 runs in the T20I Three-match series on Namibian cricket grounds in Windhoek.

The Proteas team looked like they were heading for a very large score after Namibia won the toss and decided to bat. Pretorius and Connor Esterhuizen provided an impressive 156 runs from the first pair of batsmen.

Esterhuizen started aggressively, scoring 88 runs off just 40 balls, including eight sixes, while Pretorius provided him with equally strong support. Proteas quickly amassed 70 runs without loss during the powerplay phase and reached 127/0 by mid-innings, with Esterhuizen scoring 73 and Pretorius scoring 47.

Esterhuizen reached the fifty-run barrier by hitting his fifth six, but his brilliant innings ended when he was dismissed by spinner Jan Balt, marking his highest score in T20I. Meanwhile, Pretorius continued to show outstanding form after previously scoring 94 runs against Zimbabwe in the series. He reached his third fifty in T20I in the 11th over and then went on to score a triple-digit total, making 101 runs off 53 balls, including five fours and eight sixes.

South Africa finished with a score of 228/4, although the late change of pace and bowling length from Namibia prevented the visitors from reaching a threatening total of 250 runs. The question remains whether the Proteas batting can defend such a substantial score, considering that the leading series player, Duane Jansen, rested for this match.