In a thrilling Qualifiers clash at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Thursday (July 6), the Netherlands secured their spot in the World Cup with a remarkable performance. Bas de Leede’s stunning 123 off 92 and his five-wicket haul were instrumental in their victory over Scotland by four wickets.
Scotland had set a competitive target of 277/9, thanks to Brandon McMullen’s impressive 106 off 100 and Richie Berrington’s 64 off 84. The Netherlands faced a daunting task, needing to achieve the target in 44 overs to surpass Scotland’s net run rate. At 163/5 in the 31st over, the Netherlands seemed to be struggling. However, the 23-year-old de Leede played a sensational innings, accelerating from 50 off 55 to score an additional 73 runs off just 37 balls. This incredible display allowed the Netherlands to seal the chase in 42.5 overs.
De Leede’s contribution was not limited to his batting heroics. Earlier in the match, he had played a crucial role with the ball, taking 5 for 52.
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The Netherlands made a strong start in their chase, with Vikramjit Singh and Max ODowd putting together a solid partnership of 65 runs for the opening wicket. Unfortunately, ODowd was dismissed leg-before by Michael Leask, despite a failed review. Leask then claimed the wicket of Vikramjit in his next over, leaving the Netherlands at a loss after a well-made 40 runs. Wesley Barresi and de Leede attempted to build a partnership, but their efforts were cut short when Barresi fell to McMullen for 11 runs, and Teja Nidamanuru was dismissed by Chris Greaves in his first over, leaving the Netherlands at 108/4.
De Leede and Scott Edwards worked to get the chase back on track, extending their partnership to over 50 runs. However, Scotland quickly put an end to their stand, as Mark Watt got Edwards out leg-before for 25 runs. De Leede surpassed 50 runs, but the pressure was on the Netherlands, who needed to score 102 runs in 10 overs to secure their spot in the World Cup in India. De Leede and Saqib Zulfiqar showed determination, hitting regular boundaries and bringing the required runs down to 60 in six overs.
In the 41st over, De Leede hit two consecutive sixes off Watt, reaching his first ODI hundred, while Zulfiqar ended the over with another six, adding 22 runs to the total. The equation then came down to 23 runs in three overs. De Leede’s two sixes off McMullen brought it down to just three runs with two overs remaining.
Unfortunately, De Leede was run out, but Zulfiqar, who played a crucial role in a 113-run partnership with the centurion, remained until the end. The Netherlands emerged victorious in the chase, securing their first World Cup berth since 2011.
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