The last time Bas De Leede played in Delhi, he made some unwanted history. The Dutch all-rounder was at the receiving end as Glenn Maxwell smashed his way to the fastest hundred in ODI World Cup history, smashing 106 off 44 balls at the 2023 edition. With the ball, De Leede conceded 115 runs in his 10 overs, the most expensive spell in the history of the format. But cricket offers a chance at redemption. On his return to the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, the 26-year-old played a stellar role as the Netherlands, who had given Pakistan a mighty scare in their opening game, outclassed Namibia by seven wickets with two overs to spare. De Leede first took two wickets – those of skipper Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit – in three overs, conceding just 20 runs, and affected the run-out of the dangerous Ruben Trumpelmann, before anchoring the confident 157-run chase with an unbeaten 72 off 48 balls. De Leede, who came in at No.3, had the match-defining partnership with Colin Ackermann (32 off 28) as the 70-run stand in 51 balls got the Dutch within striking distance. During his decisive innings, De Leede gave an ample display of his stroke-play and big hitting, managing five fours and four sixes. And when skipper Scott Edwards joined him with 41 needed off six overs, it was time to put the foot on the pedal. The end came quickly as they needed just four overs to get the job done. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ICC (@icc) “It was not a conscious decision to finish the game quickly. Scottie brings energy into the middle, and I decided if the ball was there to be hit, I’ll go for it,” de Leede said after the game. De Leede, whose father Tim was a Dutch stalwart as the country took its initial steps in the sport in the 1990s and early 2000s and whose cousin Babette is an accomplished wicketkeeper-batter with the women’s team, said the chastising experience in October 2023 was not something that crossed his mind before or during Tuesday’s encounter. “I’m pretty forgetful in such matters, and it wasn’t at the back of my mind,” De Leede said. “I’m not much fussed about it.”Story continues below this ad The manner in which the Dutch went about their business was clinical. After winning the toss on a surface that improved as the game progressed, they had the Namibia innings under control throughout, and whenever the African team threatened to break free, they invariably lost a wicket. None of their key batters survived till the death overs to give the finishing kick the innings needed. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (42 off 38 deliveries) and Jan Frylinck (30 off 26) stayed the longest, but couldn’t do any sustained damage. Also Read | Max O’Dowd faces abuse for dropping Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf: ‘It seems Indian fans were angrier than Dutch supporters’ The Dutch utilised spin for more than half of the innings, with most of them coming in the first half. Off-spinner Aryan Dutt (1/13 in three overs) and pacer Logan van Beek (2/13 in three), who opened the bowling, were difficult to get away as the Powerplay brought just 40 runs at the expense of one wicket. Kept in check There was a phase around the 12-over mark when Namibia had the momentum with the run rate nearing eight an over, but after Erasmus failed to clear Dutt at short mid-wicket with a pull shot, they were always behind the eight-ball and finished with a below-par total. When it was time for the chase, the Dutch got ahead of the rate early and stayed there. Max O’Dowd got out early, but it didn’t deter them. Michael Levitt’s 28 off 15 balls took charge of the powerplay, and they were 50/2 after six overs. Story continues below this ad Brief scores: Namibia 156/8 in 20 overs (Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 42, Jan Frylinck 30; Logan van Beek 2/13, Bas de Leede 2/20) lost to The Netherlands 158/3 in 18 overs (De Leede 72 not out, Colin Ackermann 32) by seven wickets
T20 World Cup: Bas de Leede exorcises Delhi demons in all-round display as Netherlands cruise past Namibia by 7 wickets
