ICC World Cup 2023 PAK vs NED: Pakistan Overpowers Netherlands with an 81-Run Victory in Hyderabad
Pakistan emerged victorious in a thrilling clash against the Netherlands, securing a comfortable 81-run win in an exciting encounter held at Hyderabad. Despite a fantastic all-round performance from Bas de Leede, who took four wickets and scored 67 runs, the Netherlands couldn’t overcome Pakistan’s target of 287.
Chasing Pakistan’s competitive score, the Netherlands started their innings positively with Vikramjit Singh finding the boundaries during the initial Powerplay. However, Hasan Ali struck first for Pakistan, dismissing Max O’Dowd. A promising partnership between Bas de Leede and Vikramjit Singh ensued, but the Dutch’s chase was halted when Shadab Khan took Vikramjit’s wicket.
Haris Rauf, with a brilliant second spell, further dented the Netherlands’ chances, taking two crucial wickets in one over, removing Teja Nidamanuru and Scott Edwards. Despite the fall of wickets, de Leede continued to battle but eventually fell to Mohammad Nawaz.
Rauf and Ali then efficiently cleaned up the tail, sealing Pakistan’s win. Logan van Beek played a valiant role by striking a few blows, but it was not enough to change the course of the game.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan had its share of struggles in the batting department, losing their top three batsmen within the first ten overs. However, a remarkable partnership between Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, who both scored half-centuries, shifted the momentum in Pakistan’s favor. Once the duo departed, the Netherlands managed to take wickets at regular intervals to keep Pakistan’s score in check.
The lower-order contributions from Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf proved to be instrumental in taking Pakistan’s total past 285 runs. This was a significant turning point in the match, considering Pakistan’s earlier struggles at 188 for 6.
The Netherlands displayed discipline in their bowling performance but couldn’t restrict Pakistan entirely in the death overs. Despite a challenging target, the Netherlands’ chase was impeded by a pitch that didn’t ease up as expected, coupled with some questionable shot selection.
In the end, Pakistan’s strong bowling attack, led by Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali, proved too much for the Dutch batters, resulting in an 81-run victory for Pakistan.
Brief Scores:
Pakistan 286 in 49 overs (Saud Shakeel 68, Mohammad Rizwan 68; Bas de Leede 4-62)
Netherlands 205 in 41 overs (Bas de Leede 67, Vikramjit Singh 52; Haris Rauf 3-43, Hasan Ali 2-33)
Pakistan wins by 81 runs.
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