Explosive start of Netherlands
In this game, the Netherlands opener Michael Levitt showed brilliant performance and scored Match 90 runs in only 57 balls. His performance put the team in good position and had 198-7. He had the power in his bat that pressurised the Scottish bowlers.
Other batsmen also played a role
Even though Levitt was the star, Max O’Dowd (21 runs) and captain Scott Edwards (31 runs) also contributed to strengthening the score. Their partnerships gave the Netherlands a chance to score good runs against the Scottish bowling.
Scotland’s fielding was a glimpse
Although Scotland’s bowling was not that effective, their fielding was excellent. George Mansi in particular took a brilliant catch on the boundary line to dismiss Vikramjit Singh, which filled the team with energy.
Scotland’s poor start
Chasing the target, Scotland’s start was slow and indecisive. Mark Watt was run out in the third over and this affected the run chase. The team came under pressure due to the quick fall of wickets.
Munsi’s controversial dismissal
The match raised a controversial issue over the wicket of George Munsi. He was out in a catch and it brought doubts whether the ball had reached the ground or not. This rejection was a huge disappointment to the expectations of the Scotland team.
Brendan McMullen’s aggressive innings
For Scotland, Brendan McMullen played a strong innings by scoring 51 runs and tried to handle the team. But when he was dismissed by Teja Nidamanuru, the team still needed 100+ runs to win.
Leask’s rapid comeback
Michael Leask added excitement to the match by hitting five sixes and gave hope to Scotland. But he too was caught at long on by Max O’Dowd off Roelof van der Merwe and Scotland’s hopes of comeback suffered a major setback.
Hopes shattered in the last over
Scotland had to have scored 27 runs in the final over to win but Aryan Dutt bowled well to keep them off 10 in the final over. This was how the Netherlands gave the win by 17 runs.
The second loss in a row by Scotland
This game turned out to be the second loss in a row of Scotland. The team had earlier lost to Nepal. This loss can be a result of the declining morale of the team but it will also be good practice before the actual qualifier games.
Captain Berington’s reaction
Captain Richie Berington said that the team’s strategy was correct but we could not implement it consistently throughout the innings. He praised Leask and said that when he is on the field, there is hope of victory.
Conclusion:
This match was in favor of the Netherlands but Scotland also struggled. The innings of Michael Levitt and Michael Leask were exciting for the audience. Scotland now has to face Nepal in the next match and go to the Netherlands in August to play the T20 World Cup Qualifier.
June 14, 2025