Netherlands beat Scotland today (July 6) in their final game of the World Cup Qualifier Super Six to clinch a top-two finish and therefore qualify for the 2023 World Cup thanks to a last-gasp obliteration from Bas de Leede.
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Scotland came into this match favourites to qualify for the 10-team tournament on account of their superior Net Run-Rate. For them, the equation was simple, win the match and qualification would be secured. For the Netherlands, their route wasn’t so straightforward.
They had to win the match by at least 32 runs, or finish their chase inside 44 overs. This would take them above Scotland on NRR and finish the Super Six in second place. It was thanks to De Leede that they pulled it off.
Brandon McMullen scored a century for Scotland from No. 3 and shared a 155-run partnership with the captain Richie Berrington. But they lost four wickets for 43 runs at the end of their innings and set the Netherlands 278 to win. A touch and go target for the 44 overs in which they needed to wrap the match up in.
Enter de Leede. He had already taken five wickets in Scotland’s innings, but wasn’t content just to play his part for his side with the ball. As the batters struggled to keep their run rate up to the required level, de Leede bided his time. He reached his half-century off 55 deliveries and had reached 90 by the end of the 40th over. At that point, Netherlands needed 45 runs in four overs or their World Cup hopes would be cut short.
That was when de Leede went ballistic. He hit three sixes off Mark Watt in the following over, the second over square-leg brought up a remarkable century. That over alone reduced the equation to 23 runs from three overs. In short, a completely different game.
De Leede wasn’t done there though. He set about taking McMullen apart in his next over. The second ball went for six back over the bowler’s head before he hit another maximum over mid-off later in the over.
By that point the damage was well and truly done and Scotland’s hopes had been shattered. Netherlands needed three runs off the following over to win the match and qualify. It would have been a perfect ending to his heroics for de Leede to get them over the line, but that part of script wasn’t quite perfect. De Leede was run out with two runs still needed, from a direct hit by Safyaan Sharif. But Logan van Beek’s hit the single that took them to their first 50-over World Cup since 2011.
It would have been a stunning achievement for either side to qualify for the tournament ahead of three Full Member nations, but for De Leede to snatch a place out of Scotland’s grasp at the last moment is an almighty heist.
Netherlands will play Sri Lanka in the tournament final on July 9.
