Ireland beat Namibia by 55 runs in the first ODI at the High Performance Oval in Windhoek on 22 October 2026. Gavin Hoey was named player of the match for figures of 3/29 as Namibia, chasing 230, were bowled out for 174 in 37.5 overs.
How It Unfolded
Namibia won the toss and chose to field first. Paul Stirling led Ireland's innings with 56 off 71 balls, hitting eight fours and a six, and Cade Carmichael added 45 off 80 balls. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker both made 28, Andy Balbirnie 20 and Curtis Campher 17 as Ireland reached 229/9. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton was Namibia's best bowler with 4/36 from nine overs, JJ Smit took 2/47, and Bernard Scholtz and Ruben Trumpelmann took a wicket each.
Namibia's chase never settled. Louren Steenkamp made 26, Michael van Lingen 23 and captain Gerhard Erasmus 22, but wickets fell steadily. Trumpelmann struck 50 off 43 balls with four fours and three sixes, yet the innings ended with more than 12 overs unused. Hoey's 3/29 from nine overs did the most damage, with George Dockrell taking 2/22, Jai Moondra 2/27 and Campher 1/22.
The Oracle's Call
The CricMind Oracle locked Ireland as favourites before the toss, at 60% to Namibia's 40%, and the call was correct. Ireland's higher Oracle rating, 1248 and tenth against Namibia's 1027 and 16th, outweighed Namibia's home advantage. The full Oracle call sets out each factor.
What's Next
Ireland lead the series 1-0 with four matches to play, and the Oracle now gives them an 82% chance of winning it. Follow the rest of the series on the Ireland tour of Namibia 2026/27 hub.
Source: Scorecard and the Oracle call.