The Netherlands made a remarkable climb from the bottom of the World Cup table with an impressive 87-run victory over Bangladesh on Saturday. This victory was fueled by Scott Edwards, who played a feisty half-century, and Dutch bowler Paul van Meekeren, who unleashed a fiery spell.
In pursuit of 230 runs to win, Bangladesh suffered a batting collapse, finding themselves at 70/6 within 18 overs. Van Meekeren, with his outstanding figures of 4/23, was instrumental in dismantling the middle order. Bas de Leede also played his part by dismissing the well-set batsman Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 35. Eventually, Bangladesh was bundled out for just 142 runs in 42.2 overs.
The Dutch seamers effectively varied their pace and extracted bounce from a slow wicket at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, which added to the pressure on Bangladesh. De Leede, contributing with 2/25, removed Mohammad Mahmudullah (20), further solidifying the Netherlands’ grip on a historic victory.
Scott Edwards played a crucial role in resurrecting the Dutch innings after a shaky start, scoring a stroke-filled 68 runs. Sybrand Engelbrecht chipped in with 35 runs, and late hitting by Logan van Beek (23 not out) helped the Netherlands finish with a competitive total of 229.
Although Shoriful Islam (2/51) and Mahedi Hasan (2/40) managed to clean up the Dutch tail, Bangladesh regretted allowing the Netherlands’ lower order to accumulate 74 runs in the final 10 overs.
The Netherlands faced early setbacks, losing their openers within the first 14 balls. However, Wesley Barresi’s breezy 41, featuring eight fours, repaired the damage. Mustafizur Rahman (2/36) managed to entice him into a poor shot, and Colin Ackermann (15) did not last much longer. Sloppy catching by Bangladesh, including two dropped catches when Scott Edwards was yet to score, prevented the Dutch from being in a deeper crisis.
Taskin Ahmed (2/43) had Bas de Leede caught behind for 17, leaving the Netherlands at 107/5. Scott Edwards, undeterred, continued to score his second fifty of the tournament and 15th overall before falling to Mustafizur’s wide yorker.
In summary, the Netherlands registered a memorable victory over Bangladesh, and the key performances from Scott Edwards and Paul van Meekeren played a crucial role in this remarkable turnaround.
Brief scores:
Netherlands 229 in 50 overs (Scott Edwards 68, Wesley Barresi 41, Sybrand Engelbrecht 35; Mustafizur Rahman 2/36, Mahedi Hasan 2/40, Taskin Ahmed 2/43, Shoriful Islam 2/51) beat Bangladesh: 142 in 42.2 overs (Mehidy Hasan Miraz 35; Paul van Meekeren 4/23, Bas de Leede 2/25).
Player of the match: Paul van Meekeren
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