South Africa and Namibia are in the middle of a historic three match ODI series in Windhoek, their first ever meeting in the fifty over format. South Africa lead 1-0 after a thumping win in the opener, and the second match is being played today, September 11, at the Namibia Cricket Ground. This piece looks at what the head to head record says, how both squads compare player for player, and who has the better chance of closing out the series.
SA vs NAM live score and series snapshot
South Africa batted first in the second ODI after Namibia won the toss and chose to field. The Proteas posted a big total again, finishing on 325 for 8 in their 50 overs, built around fifties from Connor Esterhuizen and Tony de Zorzi. That score follows a similarly dominant first ODI, where debutant Jordan Hermann smashed 150 and South Africa chased Namibia’s response down comfortably, winning by 99 runs under the DLS method after rain reduced the match. With the series sitting at 1-0 and a third and final ODI scheduled for September 13, Namibia need a win today just to stay alive in the contest. Live scores and ball by ball updates for the remainder of the match are available through Cricinfo and FanCode.
It is worth clearing up one common search confusion here. The teams also played each other recently in T20Is, as part of the Namibia T20I Tri-Series that wrapped up on September 6, where Namibia actually beat South Africa in the tournament opener before South Africa won the return fixture. That was a different, shorter format. The series happening right now is a fifty over ODI series, the first of its kind between these two nations, and it carries extra weight because both teams will co-host the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup along with Zimbabwe.
SA vs NAM head to head record
South Africa’s overall record against Namibia across formats is one sided, though Namibia has shown in recent years that it can spring the occasional upset in the shortest format.
| Format | Matches played | South Africa wins | Namibia wins | Other result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is (last 12 months) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| All time T20Is | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
South Africa has never lost an ODI to Namibia, simply because this is only the second time the two sides have met in that format, and both games have gone in the Proteas’ favour so far. In T20Is, Namibia has already proven it can win on its home ground in Windhoek, doing so both in October 2025 and again in the opening match of the August 2026 tri-series. That gives Namibia a small psychological edge in T20 cricket even though the ODI story so far reads very differently.
Recent form comparison
| Category | South Africa | Namibia |
|---|---|---|
| Last 5 matches (all formats) | Won 4, lost 1 | Won 2, lost 3 |
| ODI series so far | 1-0 up, won 1st ODI by 99 runs (DLS) | Trail 0-1, lost 1st ODI |
| T20I tri-series result | Finished runners up, lost the final to Zimbabwe | Finished third, beat SA once in the league phase |
| Home advantage | Playing away from home | Playing at home in Windhoek |
| Squad experience | Several IPL and franchise regulars | Mostly domestic based squad with a handful of experienced campaigners |
South Africa’s squad for this tour leans on players who have recent franchise cricket exposure, while Namibia’s side is drawn largely from its domestic pool, supplemented by a few players who have represented the country across multiple World Cup cycles. That gap in overall depth is the single biggest reason South Africa has started this series as favourites.
Player track record: batters to watch
| Player | Team | Recent numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Dewald Brevis | South Africa | 223 runs in last 7 matches, average 37.17, strike rate 145.75 |
| Tony de Zorzi | South Africa | 185 runs in last 7 matches, average 37, strike rate 106.93 |
| Jordan Hermann | South Africa | Scored 150 on ODI debut in the series opener |
| Jan Frylinck | Namibia | 162 runs in the recent tri-series, average 40.50 |
| Gerhard Erasmus | Namibia | Namibia’s captain and most experienced top order batter |
| Louren Steenkamp | Namibia | Formed a productive opening stand with Frylinck through the T20Is |
Brevis remains the biggest threat in the South African batting order on his day, and his strike rate in white ball cricket this year is well clear of most of his teammates. Hermann’s century on debut has also added a genuine middle order weapon that Namibia’s bowlers did not fully account for in the first match. On the Namibian side, Frylinck and Erasmus carry most of the batting responsibility, and both will need substantial contributions if Namibia is to chase down or defend a total against this South African attack.
Player track record: bowlers to watch
| Player | Team | Recent numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Prenelan Subrayen | South Africa | Career best four wicket haul in the first ODI, leading the attack as stand in captain |
| Bjorn Fortuin | South Africa | 2 wickets in last 3 matches, economy 4.51 |
| Nqabayomzi Peter | South Africa | 3 wickets in last 2 matches, economy 6.08 |
| Ruben Trumpelmann | Namibia | Took 4 wickets for 68 in the first ODI, Namibia’s most reliable seamer |
| JJ Smit | Namibia | Consistent with both bat and ball through the recent tri-series |
| Jack Brassell | Namibia | Young seamer given an early opportunity in this series |
Subrayen’s four wicket haul in the series opener was the difference between a competitive Namibian chase and a comfortable South African win, and he is captaining the side in this match with Fortuin rested. Trumpelmann remains Namibia’s best bowler by a distance, and his ability to strike early with the new ball is probably Namibia’s clearest route to restricting South Africa’s top order.
Who has the better chance of winning today
Based purely on the current score and the squads on the park, South Africa holds the stronger hand. The batting has already shown it can post 300 plus totals on this pitch twice in a row, the bowling attack has more variety with Subrayen’s spin and Peter’s pace, and the team carries a psychological cushion from the first match win. Several pre match previews have put South Africa’s win probability above 60 percent for this fixture, and a total in excess of 300 in the first innings only strengthens that number further.
Namibia’s best route back into this match and the series depends on early wickets from Trumpelmann and Balt, and on its middle order finally clicking together in a chase, something that did not happen in the series opener. Namibia has shown against Zimbabwe and in patches against South Africa in T20 cricket that it is capable of competitive totals at home, so a repeat of that form with the bat is not out of the question. Still, going purely by what has happened across the first ODI and the broader head to head trend, South Africa remains the more likely side to win both this match and the series.
SA vs NAM highlights so far
The stand out moments of this series to date belong almost entirely to South Africa. Jordan Hermann’s 150 on ODI debut equalled the highest score by any batter on debut in ODI history, and South Africa’s 348 in the first match was the joint highest total ever posted against Namibia in the format. Subrayen’s four wicket haul with the ball capped off a near perfect all round performance in that game. For Namibia, Trumpelmann’s four wickets and a fighting fifty plus opening stand were the only real positives, and the side will be hoping for a fuller performance across both innings today to keep the series alive heading into the decider on September 13.
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