Tag: Netherlands vs Zimbabwe

HARARE: Half-centuries from Gary Ballance and Wessly Madhevere helped Zimbabwe defeat the Netherlands by seven wickets and win a World Cup Super League one-day international series 2-1 on Saturday.

After two midweek thrillers that were won in the final over, the home side were always ahead on run rate after restricting the tourists to 231 for nine.

Sikandar Raza hit the match-winning four, taking Zimbabwe to 235 for three with 50 balls remaining at Harare Sports Club.

Zimbabwe have often battled in all three formats due to poor top-order batting, but openers Madhevere and captain Craig Ervine excelled this time by putting on 96 for the first wicket.

After their departures, former England batter Ballance and Sean Williams maintained the dominance of the Dutch attack to deliver a 96-run third-wicket partnership.

While Ballance top scored with an unbeaten 64, including eight fours, Madhevere (50), Ervine (44) and Williams (43) played significant roles.

Teenage Dutch leg-spinner Shariz Ahmad, who took five wickets on Thursday in a one-run second match loss, captured another two, but they came at a high price as he conceded 71 runs.

Opener Max O’Dowd top scored with 38 for the Netherlands after captain Scott Edwards won the toss for the first time in the series.

Colin Ackerman (37) and Edwards (34) also made valuable knocks. However, none of the trio could manage a six, with O’Dowd hitting six fours, Ackermann two and Edwards four.

The tourists’ lone six came from Aryan Dutt, who batted at number nine and scored 15 off 14 deliveries.

Williams was the most impressive Zimbabwe bowler, capturing three wickets for 41 runs, including those of Ackermann and Edwards.

With both countries out of contention for direct entry to the 2023 World Cup in India, they used the series to prepare for a qualifying tournament Zimbabwe will host in June and July.

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ADELAIDE: Dutch pacers wreaked havoc on the batting line before Max O’Dowd blasted a scintillating half-century, aiding the Netherlands to gain their first points in the Super 12s as they seal a comprehensive five-wicket win over Zimbabwe, here on Wednesday.

The Dutch side dominated the opponents throughout the game as the bowlers ran through the Zimbabwean batters to bundle them out for a meagre 117-run total despite a valiant resistance by Sikandar Raza in the middle.

The Netherlands chased down the target with two overs to spare on the back of a solid 73-run partnership for the second wicket between opener Dowd and Tom Cooper.

Dowd top-scored for the side with a cautious knock of 47-ball 52 laced with eight fours and a six while Cooper contributed 32 off 29.

The duo was sailing the Netherlands comfortably to the finishing line as they took the scoreboard to 90/1 before Luke Jongwe and Richard Ngarava struck two back-to-back wickets in the 13th and 14th overs, dismissing Cooper and no 4 batter Collin Ackermann, respectively. 

The Netherlands, eventually, lost two more wickets, set batsman Dowd and skipper Scott Edwards, before Bas de Leede finished the proceedings on the final of the 18th over with a boundary.

Earlier, Zimbabwe had a dismal turn with the bat as Raza top-scored for the side with a defiant knock of 24-ball 40 amid complete batting chaos as nine of the Zimbabwean batters failed to make it into double figures.

Paul van Meekeren and Brandon Glover stormed through the top order as they stuck the batting side to 20/3 in the powerplay.

Following the early chaos, Raza joined no 3 batters, Sean Williams, for the only noteworthy partnership of the innings as they gathered 48 runs for the fourth wicket before the left-handed batter was dismissed by Meekeren in the 12th over.

Williams managed 28 off 23 laced with three fours before he departed which triggered another collapse within the Zimbabwe batting order as they lost the rest of the six wickets for the addition of mere 39 runs.

For the Netherlands, Meekeren was the pick of the bowlers as he returned excellent figures of 3/29 in his four overs quota, while Glover, Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede took two wickets apiece. Medium pacer Fred Klaassen also had a scalp to his credit.

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