Watch: 190 in 83 balls – The 2014 Dutch heist in Sylhet that stunned Ireland
Watch: The Netherlands chased 190 in 13.5 overs against Ireland in Sylhet to qualify for the Super 10 of the 2014 World Twenty20.
This was the last match of Group B of the First Round. Ireland seemed set to qualify after clinching a thriller against Zimbabwe and an easy win against the UAE. Zimbabwe, too, had beaten the Netherlands off the last ball, and brushed aside the UAE with ease.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, had started off well, with a comfortable victory against the UAE. However, after the defeat against Zimbabwe, they not only needed to beat Ireland but do that by a substantial margin.
It was not going to be easy, especially after William Porterfield (47 in 32 balls), Andrew Poynter (57 in 38), and Kevin O’Brien (42 not out in 16) took Ireland to 189-4. The Netherlands had to chase the target in 14.2 overs – in other words, get them at 13.26 an over.
With no time to waste, Peter Borren and Stephan Myburgh got going from the very onset. In the second over, bowled by Andy McBrine, Borren hit a six and Myburgh three more. Myburgh hit three more in the fourth over, off Alex Cusack.
The carnage continued until the last ball of the powerplay, when George Dockrell caught Borren (31 in 15 balls) brilliantly off O’Brien, but by then the Dutch had raced to 91-1. Still, they needed another 99 in 50 balls – and the field restrictions came off.
Ireland certainly seemed back in the game when Dockrell ended Myburgh’s 23-ball 63 in the next over, and O’Brien took out Logan van Beek. But Wesley Barresi and Tom Cooper continued with the onslaught.
Two sixes came in the ninth over, off Stirling. Four more, off consecutive balls in the tenth, off Dockrell, all by Cooper. By the time Tim Murtagh had Cooper (45 in 15) caught at deep square-leg, the Netherlands needed 29 in 19 balls.
The onus fell on Tom’s younger brother Ben, who hit a six off O’Brien. When Murtagh began the 14th over, the Dutch needed 13 in eight balls to qualify. Dot, six, dot, four, six – and Barresi had sealed it with three balls to spare.
In all, the Dutch batters hit 19 sixes that night. Not only did they qualify, but they even secured top spot in the group.
