Netherlands won against Bangladesh by 87 runs

Netherlands demand ‘bigger nation’ status after new World Cup shock

Netherlands won against Bangladesh by 87 runs in a World Cup match in Kolkata on Saturday, with an all-round performance from them as they bowled out the opponents for 142.

Netherlands had set 229 target for the Lions as captain Scott Edwards made 68. Paul van Meekeren was the star bowler for Dutch. He grabbed four wickets.

Several Bangladesh bowlers took two wickets apiece at Eden Gardens, with the Netherlands in trouble at 63-4 and 107-5 after Edwards won the toss.

But Edwards shared partnerships of 44 with Bas de Leede (17) and 78 with Sybrand Engelbrecht as the Netherlands batted out their 50 overs.

Edwards won the toss and batted as the Netherlands looked to recover from a World Cup record 309-run defeat by Australia.

But Vikramjit Singh chipped the fit-again Taskin Ahmed after making just three to Shakib Al Hasan and fellow opener Max O’Dowd then fell for a duck when he edged Shoriful Islam to slip to leave the Netherlands 4-2 in the third over.

Wesley Barresi, 39, in his first match of the tournament, repaired some of the damage with a run-a-ball 41 before he was caught off a mistimed drive.

And 63-3 became 63-4 in the 15th over when Colin Ackermann (15) top-edged a sweep off Mustafizur Rahman to short fine leg.

De Leede kept the Tigers at bay before he was caught behind off an excellent delivery from paceman Taskin (2-43), fit following a shoulder injury, to leave the Netherlands 107-5.

But Edwards, whose unbeaten 78 propelled the Netherlands to a shock win over South Africa earlier in the tournament, was still there.

Tonga-born and Australia raised, but Dutch qualified through his grandmother, the 27-year-old Edwards held firm to complete a 78-ball fifty with just three fours.

He was eventually out when he spooned a catch off Mustafizur to backward point, with Engelbrecht lbw to Mahedi Hasan soon afterwards as the innings fell away.

Both teams have identical records of one win and four defeats from their opening five World Cup matches.

All-rounder Bas de Leede demanded the Netherlands be afforded “bigger nation” status after defeating Bangladesh by 87 runs at the World Cup in Kolkata on Saturday.

The Dutch, the only non-Test playing country at the tournament, now have two huge wins at this World Cup after also upsetting South Africa by 38 runs in Dharamsala.

“We want to try and get the International Cricket Council’s attention to start looking at us as a potentially bigger nation in the coming years,” said de Leede.

Skipper Scott Edwards starred on Saturday with a top score of 68 in his team’s 229 in 50 overs.

Fast bowler Paul van Meekeren then grabbed 4-23 to send Bangladesh crashing to 142 all out in 42.2 overs.

“I think obviously every win we get is going to be big for us and for cricket in the Netherlands,” said de Leede.

“We want to inspire young kids to take up the game back home.”

Saturday’s win was the Netherlands’ fourth at 50-over World Cups — they defeated Namibia in 2003 and Scotland in 2007.

Asked how the Netherlands will celebrate the latest win, de Leede replied: “Nothing too crazy. Some of us will have a beer in the change room.

“We’ll sing a team song and apparently there’s a rugby game on tonight so, I think most of the guys will be watching that,” he said in reference to the Rugby World Cup final in Paris.

The Netherlands now have four points in six games but their slim chances of squeezing into the semi-finals will depend on other results.

“I think it (semi-final spot) depends how other teams do, how big our chances are for the semi-final. But for us the goal is to keep winning as many games as we can.

“I think there’s a couple of games where we haven’t played to our best, but then again today we did and if we can do that again for the next three games, who knows where we will finish.”

The Netherlands will face Afghanistan (November 3 in Lucknow), defending champions England (Pune on November 8) and hosts India (November 12 in Bengaluru).