Last evening the team enjoyed the buffet supper ( eat as much as you like!) so much that we have booked in for the remaining two nights of the stay in Windhoek. Suitably fed and after a good night's rest we expected a better display on the field today.

The match ( another 45 over game against an invitation team) started in the same way as yesterday. Stand in captain, Nigel Jacob lost the toss for a second time and returned with the immortal words, I can't believe it was heads for the second time - what are the odds on that??!!

We were in the field and as it turned out we were there for the hottest part of the day. The opposition batted with some determination and the young bowling attack - opening today were Yusuf Sohoye and Samraj Sadra - did their best against determined batting and struggled to maintain line and length. The spinners didn't bowl badly but they did not give us the control we needed and the fielding often let us down with some of the younger players losing concentration. They have not quite made the step up from their year sides - it will come in due course. The opposition score of 258 - 5 off 45 overs was a big total helped by 100 from a most impressive batsman who had played for Namibia's senior side.

Our response got off to a bad start with Nigel Jacob running out his younger brother, and a number of other top order batsman not giving the concentration needed and playing as if in an u14 game! A positive stand between Alex Stroud and Tyrone Behari doubled the scorte but in the end we failed to do ourselves justice.

Back at the hotel we spent time analysing our shortcomings and working on the positive. The benefit of the tour will not be in the purely clinical terms of results it will be from what the younger players learn and how that improves their cricket. It certainly has been a steep learning curve for them over the past two days and it has to be said that the opposition have been very strong. Tomorrow we have 2 T20 matches to look forward to and the best news is that the captain has recovered from the illness that has kept him low and has declared himself fit to play.