Bangladesh will begin its campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup against the Netherlands on Monday. Before the match gets underway at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Prothom Alo takes a closer look at the Dutch team, the men in orange who are eyeing one or two upsets in the Super 12.
Journey till now
The Netherlands earned the right to play in the Super 12 after finishing as Group A runners-up in the first round.
The Dutch, however, did not have it easy in the group stage. They started their campaign with a three-wicket win over the UAE in a last over finish.
Next, they faced off against Namibia in another last over thriller, this time getting over the line with five wickets to spare.
Against Sri Lanka their winning run ended, as they suffered a 16-run defeat.
Despite winning two out of three games, the Netherlands fate was out of their hands.
Everything depended on the outcome of the final Group A match between Namibia and the UAE.
Had Namibia won the match, they would’ve qualified for the Super 12 and Dutch would’ve had to pack their bags and return home.
But luck was on the Netherlands’ side as the UAE defeated Namibia by seven runs and the Netherlands punched their ticket to the Super 12.
We come into this tournament looking to compete. We snuck through with a bit of luck on that final day. But now that we are here in the Super 12s, we are looking to compete. Hopefully we can start off well against Bangladesh tomorrow (Monday)Netherlands batsman Tom Cooper
Players to watch out for
The Netherlands don’t have a star player in their mix. Instead, they are a group of committed cricketers, determined to punch above their weight.
Out of the batters, the one who has stood apart so far in the competition is Max O’Dowd. The right-hander is the only Dutch batter to hit a fifty in the group-stage, playing a valiant knock of 71 not out off 53 balls in a losing cause against Sri Lanka.
Of the bowlers, right-arm pacer Bas de Leede was the joint highest wicket-taker in the first round, with seven wickets in three games.
Experienced left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, who has played international cricket for South Africa, is also a key player for the Netherlands. In the group-stage, he took only a couple of wickets but was very economical, conceding just 5.85 runs per over.
Prediction
The Netherlands are a spirited team and will enter the field with nothing to lose. But the Tigers are the clear favourites on paper.
The Netherlands are currently 17th in the ICC T20 ranking, whereas Bangladesh are placed at no. 9.
However, former T20 World Cup champions like Sri Lanka and the West Indies have suffered defeats against teams ranked much lower than them.
Bangladesh are also prone to slip-up when they enter the match as favourites. But if Shakib Al Hasan’s men can keep their nerves, they should overcome the Dutch threat.
Record: Netherlands v Bangladesh
Matches: 3
Bangladesh won: 2
Netherlands won: 1
Squad
Scott Edwards (c), Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Tom Cooper, Brandon Glover, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Stephan Myburgh, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O'Dowd, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh