Captain Edwards, Nidamanuru help Netherlands secure first points. Shayan Jahangir stood tall amidst top order ruins but couldn’t prevent USA’s third straight loss.
In Harare, Scott Edwards played a pivotal role in Netherlands’ successful chase of 212, guiding his team from a tricky situation of 83/4 to a five-wicket victory. Edwards remained unbeaten with 67 runs off 60 balls, sealing Netherlands’ first win of the World Cup Qualifier with 40 balls to spare. Meanwhile, the Takashinga Sports Club continued to be a challenging venue for the USA, who suffered their third consecutive defeat there.
Once again, USA lost the toss and was asked to bat, facing a tough challenge against the Netherlands seamers. USA’s top-order struggled, with early wickets falling, including Sushant Modani’s third-ball duck and Steven Taylor’s bowled dismissal. Captain Monank Patel’s absence due to illness added to their woes, and stand-in Aaron Jones also fell early.
Gajanand Singh showed promise but couldn’t convert it into a big score, departing for 33. A strategic move by Edwards to introduce part-time medium-pacer Vikramjit Singh paid off, resulting in a wicket. The left-arm spinner Clayton Floyd also got in on the action, claiming a wicket. Shayan Jahangir provided a glimmer of hope with his 71-run partnership with Jessy Singh, but once Jessy departed for 38, USA’s momentum dwindled.
USA’s innings ended at 211, with the Netherlands bowlers keeping them in check during the latter part of the innings. The USA’s fast bowlers, led by Ali Khan, delivered a strong performance when defending the target. Ali Khan made a spectacular return from a two-match suspension, taking a brilliant one-handed return catch and celebrating by placing tape over his mouth, referencing a previous incident.
Jessy Singh joined the attack and secured two important wickets, putting Netherlands at 68/3. Saurabh Netravalkar also contributed by inducing a top-edge from Bas de Leede. Ali Khan’s absence from the field due to illness was a setback for the USA, and Scott Edwards capitalized on the opportunity to exploit Nisarg Patel’s left-arm spin, identifying it as a weakness in the USA’s bowling attack.
Netherlands’ fielding was in sharp contrast to USA’s, which had been inconsistent throughout the tournament. Edwards and his partners took advantage of several misfields, easing the pressure on their chase. Teja Nidamanuru scored a half-century but was dismissed for 58, ending a 72-run partnership. However, Netherlands remained in control, with Logan van Beek providing support to Edwards.
The flawless sweeping skills of Edwards secured the win as he dispatched the winning runs off Nisarg Patel’s bowling. Netherlands achieved the target with five wickets in hand, securing their first victory of the World Cup Qualifier.
Brief Score: Netherlands 214 for 5 (Edwards 67*, Nidamanuru 58, Jessy 2-35) beat USA 211 for 8 (Jahangir 71, Jessy 38, Klein 2-31, de Leede 2-37) by 5 wickets.
Man of the Match: Scott Andrew Edwards
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