🏏ICC Men's T20 World Cup : M 10 : NED vs Namibia at Delhi🏏 - Page 2

Who can bend a match in 10 balls

Max Heingo has, at this stage, the barest of presences on the international stage. He has played a solitary T20I and is ranked 1,068th among bowlers in the format. Expect that to change. When you are quick enough to beat Lhuan-dre Pretorius' pull and have him caught behind off the glove, as Heingo did on his international debut, people will notice.

Namibia have never played an international in India. Or in Sri Lanka. They will tick those boxes during the tournament. After settling into Delhi for their first two games, they will be in Chennai and Colombo in the space of the next six days.

Although the conditions at all of those grounds will be new to them, they are among the most adaptable teams around. Like it says above, they find a way. But they don't often have to do so against opponents of the calibre of those they will face at this T20 World Cup. Here's hoping their high-profile consultant, a certain Gary Kirsten, will help them clear that hurdle.

Banana peel fixture

Namibia could beat the Netherlands - they have done so once in four completed T20Is against the Dutch - and anything except an utter hiding by India would be considered a success. So they might be emotionally spent by the time they run out against the ambitious Americans at Chepauk. Erasmus' team should win that game, but they will have to regroup and refocus.

What a good World Cup looks like

Namibia beat the Netherlands and Ireland to reach the Super 12s in 2021. Three years later they needed a Super Over to beat Oman and then lost to Scotland, Australia, and England. Their draw this time seems kinder, but more than one win would be progress. A place in the Super Eights would stop the presses.

In the last 5 matches they faced each other, Netherlands won 3 and Namibia 1. One match ended up with no result.

So, chances of Netherlands winning are high.

Thanks for the thread Madhu!

May the best team.

Cheers..

Good luck to both teams

A perennial flag-bearer for the Associate game at ICC pinnacle events, the Netherlands have not missed a T20 World Cup since the 2012 edition, and arguably have the strongest claim to the title of leading Associate side since the elevation of Ireland and Afghanistan almost a decade ago. The Dutch have a habit of slipping back into the pack between big tournaments, in part due to their difficulty assembling a first-choice side outside of pinnacle events, having lost five of fifteen T20Is against fellow Associates since the last World Cup. The Oranje are back at something like full strength again as they return to the world stage though, facing down two of their nearest Associate rivals together with big dogs Pakistan and hosts India. The Dutch will at least be aiming to reaffirm their preeminence among their peers, while doubtless looking to add to their collection of full member scalps.

The first order of business for the Dutch ahead of a World Cup is often the reintegration of habitual absentees, with the likes of Logan van Beek, Colin Ackermann, Timm van der Gugten and Fred Klaassen returning to the squad after domestic commitments kept them out of the side for much of the northern summer. While the Dutch do a fine job of maintaining long-distance group cohesion, the absence of overseas-based tournament regulars such as Daniel Doram and especially Tim Pringle does suggest a growing preference for Netherlands-based players. That said, it's notable that domestic champions VRA Amsterdam are unrepresented in the side, with Shariz Ahmad, Vikram Singh, and Teja Nidamanuru all omitted on form or fitness.

The omission of left arm tweakers Doram and Pringle along with googly-merchant Ahmad leaves the Dutch attack looking remarkably pace-heavy for a tournament in the Subcontinent, with four dedicated quicks in the squad plus seam all-rounders de Leede and van Beek. Veteran Roelof van der Merwe is left as the only southpaw spinner in the squad, and while Ackermann and Lion-Cachet are both more than serviceable part-timers, Aryan Dutt remains the only dedicated offie. With Singh and Nidamanuru left at home the Dutch also look rather reliant on their top four, with everyone from skipper Scott Edwards on down likely to bat a slot or two higher than they might like.

04:30 GMT, 10:00 IST: So close, yet so far. That’s how the Dutch would have felt after their agonising loss to Pakistan in Colombo. From Sri Lanka’s capital, they’ve now travelled north to India’s capital. The Netherlands face a tough schedule. Not only must they put that heartbreaking defeat behind them, they also have to quickly assess different conditions. In the inaugural match of the competition, three of their top four batters got starts, but none were able to kick on and that triggered a collapse. With the ball, they leaked 61 runs in the powerplay but then staged an impressive fightback, picking up wickets at regular intervals to claw their way back into the contest. However, the 19th over put a spanner in their works. Have they recovered from that loss? They are up against a team ranked just below them.

For Namibia, this is not only their first match of the tournament but also their maiden international game in India. They did get a feel of conditions through a couple of warm-up games in Bengaluru. While they registered a 6-run win over Scotland in a high-scoring contest, they were bundled out for just 67 when chasing India A’s 197. Namibia have been a constant side in the T20 WC since 2021.

Gerhard Erasmus: It was a bit of 50-50 for us. Would have bowled first as well. We've had 7 days in Dubai and then in Bengaluru. Feeling really good. Our fourth consecutive World Cup.

Scott Edwards: We're gonna bowl first. Early morning, if there's anything in the wicket, it's going to be now. We played a lot of good cricket (against Pakistan). We've got two changes.

Netherlands have won the toss and have opted to field