(ESPN)
“I can’t really explain it,” Player of the Match Logan van Beek said after the match. Netherlands, chasing 375 against West Indies, were deep in trouble with another 205 required from the remaining 125 balls with only six wickets remaining. Who would have known that they would end up getting 204 of those in a frenetic finish which would force the game into a Super Over?
And if you thought that was enough madness for the day, van Beek bashed 4, 6, 4, 6, 6, 4 to hammer the most runs ever in a one-over eliminator. In reply, West Indies lost two wickets for eight runs, and that was it. As a result, Netherlands took two vital points into the Super Sixes of the World Cup Qualifier, leaving West Indies with nothing to carry forward after being beaten by both Netherlands and Zimbabwe. Two-time World Cup champions are now teetering, hoping to make it to the World Cup proper in India.
But before van Beek batted like a free spirit, it was the pair of Teja Nidamanuru and his captain Scott Edwards who added 143 for the fifth wicket to give Netherlands hope from the most helpless of situations. That stand took only 90 deliveries. But they lost 3 for 14 in a hurry before they were left with 30 required from the last two overs.
At the crease was none other than van Beek. The first three legal balls of the 49th over disappeared for 4, 6, 4. Nine needed off six balls. Four more from van Beek. But there was a twist. With one to get from the last ball, he pulled to mid-on, where Jason Holder tumbled to his right to grab the ball. It would be given out only with Alzarri Joseph’s front leg just being within limits.
Van Beek hit 28 at a strike rate of 200 during the run chase after Nidamaduru belted 111 off just 76 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes. Edwards, meanwhile, smashed 67 from 47, as not only did they find boundaries at will, but also made the West Indies fielders look clueless by often converting ones into twos, and twos into threes.
Finally, every run counted towards a remarkable Super Over win, although the game was set up by West Indies’ centurion Nicholas Pooran. Who was to blame if his unbeaten 104 off only 65 deliveries was already put into oblivion by the time van Beek was done with his heroics? After being given a solid foundation by half-centuries from Brandon King and Johnson Charles, Pooran added 108 with Shai Hope for the fourth wicket in less than 13 overs.
Pooran was on 7 off 17 balls at one stage. He took Saqib Zulfiqar for a four and a six in the 35th over. In the 39th, he targetted the same bowler with a six and four again, before reaching his fifty in the 40th with another run of boundaries off Vivian Kingma.
West Indies added 118 in the last ten overs. Pooran reached his second century of the World Cup Qualifier in the penultimate over of the innings, but it was Keemo Paul who punished Netherlands in the final over. He ransacked Aryan Dutt for 20 to propel his side to 374. But who knew even that wouldn’t prove enough in the end?
Scores: (CMC)
WEST INDIES 374 for six off 50 overs (Nicholas Pooran 104 not out, Brandon King 76, Johnson Charles 54, Shai Hope 47; Saqib Zulfiqar 2-43, Bas de Leede 2-72)
THE NETHERLANDS 374 for nine off 50 overs (Teja Nidamanuru 111, Scott Edwards 67, Vikramjit Singh 37, Max O’Dowd 36, Bas de Leede 33; Roston Chase 3-77, Akeal Hosein 2-73)
