'One That Got Away' - Netherlands Skipper Scott Edwards Rues Missed Opportunity Against Pakistan
Netherlands got Pakistan under the heat in Hyderabad (AP Photo)
Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards felt the pinch of a missed opportunity against Pakistan in his team's ICC World Cup 2023 opener in Hyderabad on Friday (October 6). The Dutch captain reckoned it was the "one that got away" from his team's grasp as they failed to close out multiple strong positions in either innings.
The rising associate side restricted the much-fancied Asian giants to 38/3 in the tenth over of their bowling effort but allowed the middle-order duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel to lead their team's recovery with substantial knocks of 68 apiece in a critical 120-run stand. Thereafter, contributions from the lower-order men allowed Pakistan to post a daunting 286 all out.
Even during the chase, the Netherlands found themselves 120/2 at one stage thanks to half-centuries from opener Vikramjit Singh (52) and No.4 allrounder Bas de Leede (67) before Pakistan came roaring back with the old ball to trigger a collapse, with the Dutch side losing their last eight wickets for only 85 runs.
Netherlands Captain Rues Pakistan Collapse After Hyderabad Loss
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Edwards deemed it the "one that got away" from a Netherlands side that has built a strong reputation of being up to task in crucial moments, a quality they brought to the fore throughout the global qualifiers in Zimbabwe to make the cut for the World Cup in India.
"It's probably one that got away. I thought we were in a pretty good position to win. We know they had quality bowlers throughout and they took through the middle there which held us back," Edwards said.
The skipper, however, didn't lose heart and counted out the positives from the 81-run loss. Of which, allrounder De Leede was the biggest. A player who symbolises Dutch's fighting spirit the best with bat and ball, De Leede produced a four-wicket haul in the first half and kept his team's hopes alive until the end with an impressive 67.
"He's a quality cricketer, isn't he? In all three departments of the game. I thought he bowled exceptionally well today and yeah, his innings today was awesome. I just wish we had someone to go with him," Edwards said. "It's a little bit disappointing. I thought our boys bowled and fielded really well. To Pakistan's credit, they obviously made a few runs at the end there. We felt like that was about a par score. At 2 for 120, we thought we were well and truly in the game," he added.
.jpeg)
 "Kashish Chadha")
