Netherlands' 3 most memorable moments in 2023 World Cup

The Netherlands continued to earn fans around the globe by giving a terrific account of themselves in the 2023 World Cup. Overcoming the more fancied sides like the West Indies and Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifiers to participate in the main event, the Netherlands have punched above their weight with their exciting showing.

While they may have finished at the bottom of the points table, one has to look deeper into their games to get a true reflection of their performance.

Led by an astute Scott Edwards, the side was in with a realistic shout for a semi-final spot before a disappointing finish. Considering they had won only two of their 20 games in ODI World Cups, the Netherlands winning as many games in this edition is a step in the right direction.

During the tournament, the Men in Orange had several noteworthy performances and sensational moments to thrill their fans.

As they leave Indian soil with their heads held high, here is a look back at the Netherlands' three most memorable moments of the 2023 World Cup.

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#1 An inspired Roelof van der Merwe's all-round showing to stun his former team

Van der Merwe injected life into a seemingly one-sided affair.

Following a couple of well-fought games that ended in losses against Pakistan and New Zealand, the Netherlands looked to be on their way to a disappointing hattrick of defeats against South Africa.

On an overcast afternoon in Dharamsala, the Netherlands were asked to bat first and succumbed to 140/7 in the 34th over in a 43-over contest. With a low score and a crushing defeat looking inevitable, former South African all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe turned back the clock.

The free-flowing all-rounder provided the impetus to a floundering innings with a quick-fire 29 off 19 deliveries. His knock inspired skipper Scott Edwards, who parallely switched gears to finish 78* off 68 balls. The duo added a match-turning 64 off six overs to propel Netherlands to a competitive 245/8 in 43 overs.

With a sudden spring in their step, the Dutch bowlers seized on the momentum to stun the African giants. Led again by Van der Merwe, who picked two of the first four wickets (Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen), the Netherlands had the Proteas on the mat at 44/4.

Eventually, those heroics helped the side pull off arguably the upset of the tournament by 38 runs to set off outrageous celebrations. The victory earned the Dutch several fans across India, evidenced by the support they received in the forthcoming matches.

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#2 The Scott Edwards and Paul van Meekeren show against Bangladesh

Paul Van Meekeren starred in the Netherlands' victory against Bangladesh.

If their qualification and the win against South Africa were considered a fluke, the Netherlands erased those doubts that they belonged in the 2023 World Cup with a resounding victory over Bangladesh.

Following a similar script to the South African game, the Men in Orange were shaky in the first half of their batting innings. However, from 63/4, skipper Scott Edwards played a mature knock of 68 from 89 deliveries, with valuable contributions from several other lower-order batters to stage a recovery.

Eventually finishing at 229 on a tacky Eden Gardens wicket, the Dutch knew they had the bowlers to make life miserable for the Bangla batters. And they did just that as pacer Paul van Meekeren produced a memorable spell of 4/23 to stun the Asian side.

Van Meekeren dismissed key batters Najmul Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mushfiqur Rahim to help bowl Bangladesh out for a paltry 142. The 87-run win was Netherlands' second in six outings that had many believing in the improbable scenario of the side pulling off a top-four finish.

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#3 Bas de Leede's stunning performance on ODI World Cup debut

Bas de Leede proved his mettle against a strong Pakistan unit.

Bas de Leede, 23, had an incredible ODI World Cup debut that had everyone wondering if the next big superstar of world cricket has arrived.

Coming off an exceptional showing in the qualifiers, where he finished in the top-15 among leading run-scorers and third in wickets taken, the expectations were sky-high for De Leede. The youngster also became only the fourth player to score a century and pick up a five-wicket haul against Scotland, helping the Netherlands qualify for the main event.

He certainly lived up to his hype to kickstart his maiden World Cup campaign. De Leede achieved the rare feat of picking up a four-wicket haul and scoring a half-century in the Netherlands' opening game against Pakistan.

His 4/62 helped restrict Pakistan to 286, following which Bas de Leede scored a stylish 67 off 68 deliveries to have the Dutch within touching distance of a famous victory at 120/2 in the 24th over. However, his dismissal saw them taper away to fall 81 runs short.

While De Leede's performances fell away through the rest of the tournament, he still finished as the Netherlands' leading wicket-taker with 16 in nine games.