The Netherlands have stunned the West Indies in a high-scoring thriller in the 17th Match of the ICC Cricket World Cup qualifier at the Harare Sports Club on Monday. The Dutch first pummeled the West Indies' bowling attack to score 374 to tie the contest and they hammered 30 runs off the super over.
Two-time champions, West Indies batted first after losing the toss and put in a spectacular performance. Johnson Charles and Brandon King put on 101 in 17.2 overs, with King top-scoring with 76 among the top four batters. Shamarh Brooks followed up with a sluggish 31-ball 25, but skipper Shai Hope followed up with 47 off 38 balls.
Nicholas Pooran and Keemo Paul bludgeon the Netherlands' attack:
However, it was Nicholas Pooran, who stole the show with an unbeaten 104 off 65 deliveries. Pooran reached the magical three-figure mark in the 49th over off 63 balls with a boundary off Logan Van Beek. All-rounder Keemo Paul was equally relentless as he added 79 off 40 deliveries as the last five overs yielded 70 runs.
Logan Van Beek steps up after a forgettable day with the ball:
While Netherlands' top-order chipped in with critical contributions, it lacked a big knock from them. It was Teja Nidamanuru and captain Scott Edwards that provided their side with the required momentum, by 143 off 90 deliveries. It all came down to 9 required off the final over as Roston Chase leaked 21 off the penultimate over.
Van Beek puts Jason Holder to the sword:
Van Beek, who leaked 77 off his 10 overs, gave the Netherlands a tie. However, the moment of reckoning came when he carted Jason Holder off three sixes and as many boundaries in the Super Over. Van Beek also starred with the ball as the Men in Maroon managed only 8 runs by losing two wickets.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the West Indies' stunning loss:
