Kolkata : The Netherlands cricket team pulled off a remarkable upset by defeating Bangladesh (NED vs BAN) by 87 runs in the 28th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The match was played at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Friday. The Dutch team defended their modest total of 229 runs with a disciplined bowling performance, handing Bangladesh their fifth loss in six matches. This is the first time that the Netherlands have beaten Bangladesh in an ODI match, and also their second win in the current tournament. With this victory, the Netherlands team has moved up from 10th to 8th position in the points table, while Bangladesh are out of contention for the semi-finals.
Bangladesh, who were chasing a target of 230 runs, were bowled out for 142 runs in 42.2 overs. They had a disastrous start, losing both their openers Liton Das (3) and Tamim Iqbal (15) with just 19 runs on the board. Aryan Dutt and Van Wyk claimed the wickets of Liton and Tamim respectively. Nazmul Hossain Shanto (9) was the next to go, caught by Meekeren off Van Wyk. Captain Shakib Al Hasan (5) also failed to make an impact, falling to Meekeren. Mehidy Hasan Miraz (35) and Mushfiqur Rahim (1) were dismissed quickly, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 69 for 6. Meekeren bowled Mushfiqur with a beautiful delivery that clipped the off stump.
The only resistance came from Tom Latham (89) and Mitchell Santner (58), who added 122 runs for the seventh wicket. Latham hit seven fours and four sixes in his 61-ball knock, while Santner smashed five fours and three sixes in his 38-ball innings. However, their partnership was not enough to take Bangladesh over the line, as they lost their last four wickets for just 13 runs. Meekeren was the star of the show for the Netherlands, taking four wickets for 36 runs in his 10 overs. He was sentenced to the player of the match for his brilliant bowling display. Dutt, Van Wyk, Seelaar, and Inglebrecht also chipped in with one wicket each.
Netherlands’ biggest victory
This is the biggest victory in terms of runs for an associate country against a full-member team in the history of the World Cup. The previous record was held by Ireland, who defeated Bangladesh by 74 runs in 2007. Kenya also had a memorable win over West Indies by 73 runs in 1996. Bangladesh themselves had upset Pakistan by 62 runs in 1999.
Earlier, Netherlands won the toss and opted to bat first. They scored 229 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs. Captain Scott Edwards was the top scorer for them with a fine innings of 68 runs off 89 balls. He hit six fours and anchored the innings after losing two early wickets. Wesley Varese (41), Sybrand Inglebrecht (35), and Van Wyk (23 not out) also made valuable contributions to take the Netherlands to a respectable total. For Bangladesh, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared two wickets each.
The match between Netherlands and Bangladesh was a low-scoring affair compared to some of the other matches in this edition of the World Cup. The highest total run in a World Cup match is held by South Africa and Sri Lanka, who scored 754 runs in Canberra earlier this month. The highest total run in an ODI international match is 872 runs, scored by South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg in 2006.
