Key events
“Fortunately for the Dutch, spectacular late-order recoveries is what they do,” emails Andrew Cosgrove. “For example, against Sri Lanka they were worse off than here (71/5, 91/6) and still posted 262. Let’s hope it’s a close game, at any rate.”
32nd over: Netherlands 143-7 (Engelbrecht 51, Van der Merwe 0)
Engelbrecht rocks back and slams a short, wide ball from Noor for four through cover. The bowler overcompensates and darts one down the leg side, which is helped on its way by Engelbrecht, and that’s his half-century. A really impressive, resolute innings when his teammates were crumbling around him. Unless of course you blame him for running out Ackermann. But even then, well batted!
Wicket! Van Beek b Nabi st Ikram 2, Netherlands 134-7
An absolutely delightful extra-cover drive by Engelbrecht off the second ball of the 31st over, using his feet superbly and angling his bat to guide time the ball through the off side. It races across the fast outfield for four …
Van Beek is inspired to try similar off the last ball of the over, but misses it and is promptly stumped, and out for a couple.
31st over: Netherlands 134-7
30th over: Netherlands 129-6 (Engelbrecht 37, Van Beek 2)
Three off the next over, as well, featuring an expansive reverse sweep by Engelbrecht off the last ball, that earns him a single and allows him to keep the strike. The run rate is 4.3.
29th over: Netherlands 126-6 (Engelbrecht 35, Van Beek 1)
Three off the over. Engelbrecht is fighting his corner here and giving his team a desperately needed foothold in the innings. It’s not easy, either, with Noor and his buddies mixing up their pace and flight and keeping the batsmen guessing.
28th over: Netherlands 123-6 (Engelbrecht 32, Van Beek 1)
Engelbrecht looks to go through the offside, not once but twice, and flashes an edge for four down behind the keeper, and is then dropped at first slip, although it was a very sharp chance. Eight off the over from Noor, anyway, which is better albeit on the extremely streaky side for the Dutch.
27th over: Netherlands 115-6 (Engelbrecht 26, Van Beek 1)
This run rate needs looking at.
26th over: Netherlands 113-6 (Engelbrecht 25, Van Beek 0)
It’s going to take a spectacular Dutch recovery to post a total that will cause many problems for Afghanistan, you’d have thought.
Wicket! Zulfiqar b Noor c Ikram 2, Netherlands 113-6
Zulfiqar goes for a big yahoo through the offside but can only top edge to the keeper. The Dutch were 92-2, but this has been a pretty spectacular collapse since then … and they will reflect ruefully on the run out for O’Dowd, who was trucking along happily and seeing the ball incredibly well. He was dominating, pretty much, but then a run out cost him a big score.
25th over: Netherlands 112-5 (Engelbrecht 24, Zulfiqar 2)
Afghanistan have to play Australia (Tuesday) and then South Africa (next Friday), so it’s a demanding week ahead. If they can win today they are still in with a shout.
The Netherlands have to play England next Wednesday and then India next Sunday. Tough! Well, the second one will be.
24th over: Netherlands 110-5 Engelbrecht 23, Zulfiqar 2
Noor comes into the attack. Engelbrecht attempts to sweep the third ball of the over, a full toss, which looks to be angling down the leg side but he misses it. There’s an appeal for lbw, and indeed a review, which looks optimistic at best … the players stand and stare expectantly at the big screen while the third umpire gets his house in order. Ball tracking shows the ball is missing leg stump by a distance. What a bizarre review – and now Afghanistan have none left. “But he’s bowling a googly!” one of the Afghanistan players pipes up. Strangely, the decision remains not out.
23rd over: Netherlands 108-5 (Engelbrecht 22, Zulfiqar 1)
At this rate Afghanistan are going to stay in with a shout of the semi-finals. The Netherlands aren’t completely out of it, either, but need a win today.
22nd over: Netherlands 102-5 (Engelbrecht 18, Zulfiqar 1)
21st over: Netherlands 97-5 (Engelbrecht 13, Zulfiqar 0)
A wicket maiden from Nabi. The Netherlands are at sixes and sevens, or a similarly shambolic pair of numbers.
Wicket! De Leede 3 c Ikram b Nabi, Netherlands 97-5
Whoops. That’s a soft dismissal, De Leede looking to run Nabi behind square, but succeeding only in feathering a catch to the keeper. That’s three wickets for five runs for rampant Afghanistan now.
20th over: Netherlands 97-4
The run rate is 4.85. Bas De Leede and Engelbrecht need to pile on a few runs here.
England’s Stokes set for knee surgery
Ali Martin
Ben Stokes will undergo knee surgery immediately after England’s failed World Cup campaign with the hope of returning to all-rounder status for next year’s Test tour of India.
Wicket! Edwards run out 0, Netherlands 92-4
This is a horrible bit of batting. Fresh to the crease, Edwards immediately opts to sweep against Nabi, but misses the ball completely and Ikram Ali Khil whips the bails off when the batsman, inexplicably, wanders out of his ground. This innings is now at risk of full-blown collapse after a sloppy start from Afghanistan.
Wicket! Ackermann run out 29, Netherlands 92-3
Oh dear! Another run out for the Netherlands, this time when Engelbrecht comes down the pitch and drives to mid-off and call his partner through for a run. Ackermann sets off but Rashid Khan spots that he’s slow out of the blocks. Khan’s throw is excellent the umpire does not need the assistance of a replay to give it out. What a hammer blow for the Dutch! They’ve thrown two wickets away with run outs.
18th over: Netherlands 91-2 (Ackermann 28, Engelbrecht 12)
Three off Rashid Khan’s latest over. It’s not what you’d call a capacity crowd in Lucknow, but the fans that are there are making plenty of noise.
17th over: Netherlands 88-2 (Ackermann 26, Engelbrecht 11)
Engelbrecht cashes in with one boundary, driving Nabi straight, but that’s the extent of the damage from Afghanistan’s point of view in that over.
16th over: Netherlands 84-2 (Ackermann 26, Engelbrecht 7)
Rashid Khan comes into the attack for Afghanistan. Three runs come from his opening over as he searches for his optimal line and length. And now the players will take a drink. It’s 31C in Lucknow so hydration is the name of the game.
15th over: Netherlands 81-2
The pace has gone out of the innings for now following O’Dowd’s run out. Another good over for Afghanistan, just three coming off it. But the Netherlands have a platform to build a big score, if they can keep building those partnerships …
14th over: Netherlands 78-2 (Ackermann 24, Engelbrecht 3)
A tidy over from Nabi, just the one off it.
13th over: Netherlands 77-2 (Ackermann 24, Engelbrecht 2)
An interesting lbw review, shall we say, comes from Afghanistan and Azmat Omarzai on the first ball of the over … Engelbrecht is out of his crease and moving across to the off side … it hits him outside of the line and that’s not out, and a review lost. A silly review if you ask me.
12th over: Netherlands 74-2 (Ackermann 23, Engelbrecht 1)
Can the Netherlands build another partnership after that undignified end to O’Dowd’s innings?
Wicket! O’Dowd run out 42, Netherlands 73-2
Oh no! He was batting so well! A direct hit from Azmat Omarzai sees O’Dowd short of his ground as he takes on a second run after a sweep behind square leg, and dives desperately for the line! He’ll be furious with that … but perhaps the flash of brilliance that Afghanistan needed to break that partnership. That’s a shame for the neutral, O’Dowd was batting beautifully. But he’s gone. Magnificent from Azmat Omarzai who covered a lot of ground to get to the ball and swooped on it.
Mohammad Nabi comes into the attack for Afghanistan.
Our cricket correspondent, Ali Martin, reports that Ben Stokes will have knee surgery following this tournament:
Ben Stokes to undergo knee surgery after this “crap” (his word) World Cup – hopes to be fit for the India tour that starts in late January
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) November 3, 2023
11th over: Netherlands 72-1 (O’Dowd 41, Ackermann 23)
Azmat Omarzai is brought into the attack. He pitches the first ball up, and O’Dowd meets the ball with the full face of the blade, a delightful straight-batted punch back down the ground for four. Welcome to the match. Azmat Omarzai steadies the ship after that, and concedes another couple of singles only.
Rashid Khan went off with a niggle of some sort, I believe to his thigh. He’s back on now, and he calls in his teammates for a pep talk after this somewhat shambolic start with the ball (the early wicket for Ur Rahman notwithstanding).
10th over: Netherlands 66-1 (O’Dowd 40, Ackermann 18)
Fazal Farooqi bangs one in outside off stump. O’Dowd throws everything at it – if you’re going to flash, flash hard – and the ball flies down to fine third man for four. There are some concerned faces around the field for Afghanistan. Fazal then serves up a wide, then another rank, short delivery that O’Dowd slaps down to fine leg for another boundary. “This is nonsense now,” says Mark Nicholas on commentary. “He needs to be taken out of the attack.”
9th over: Netherlands 57-1 (O’Dowd 32, Ackermann 18)
This partnership has raced to 54. O’Dowd cashes in again with a very decent looking drive through the offside.
8th over: Netherlands 51-1 (O’Dowd 28, Ackermann 17)
That’ll do. O’Dowd edges one past point for four, then batters another boundary through the off side. That’s 50 up, along with a wide outside off stump. And O’Dowd has his highest score of the tournament thus far.
7th over: Netherlands 42-1 (O’Dowd 20, Ackermann 17)
Ackerman nails a sweep for four on the penultimate ball of the over and this is all going swimmingly for the Netherlands.
6th over: Netherlands 36-1 (Ackermann 11, O’Dowd 20)
O’Dowd is timing it beautifully. He cracks the second ball of the over through point for four, then the fourth down to third man for another boundary. This could get away from Afghanistan after an ideal start …
5th over: Netherlands 28-1 (Ackermann 11, O’Dowd 12)
O’Dowd slaps one through extra cover, a slightly awkward looking shot but they all count, and then smoothly rocks back to divert another boundary down to fine leg, beating the fielder. That’s 11 off the over in all and this is a good recovery from the Dutch after the early wicket.
4th over: Netherlands 17-1. (Ackermann 10, O’Dowd 6)
A four comes off the first ball of the over, Farooqi straying down leg and Ackermann clipping it nicely for a boundary down to fine leg. All dots apart from that.
3rd over: Netherlands 13-1. (Ackermann 6, O’Dowd 6)
Ackermann picks up three with an edge off a very wide ball down leg side. O’Dowd was lucky not to be pinned lbw, too. It looked plumb but there was a thick inside edge on to his pad first.
2nd over: Netherlands 9-1. (Ackermann 1, O’Dowd 6)
Max O’Dowd, with his flowing locks, strokes the first boundary of the innings straight down the ground. A fine stroke off the seamers of Fazal Farooqi. O’Dowd picks up a single down to fine leg, too.
Wicket! Barresi lbw b Ur Rahman 1
1st over: Netherlands 3-1. (Ackermann 0, O’Dowd 1)
An ideal start for Afghanistan. Mujeeb Ur Rahman nearly gets through Wesley Barresi’s defence with the first ball of the innings, a googly that he fails to read … there are a couple of singles and a wide down the leg side before Barresi is trapped lbw by Ur Rahman, a ball that nips back a touch and is probably hitting leg stump. I think I might have fanced a review there, and they think about one, but decide against it and eventually Barresi is off. The hawkeye replay confirms it is indeed clipping leg stump.
And they’re off! Ur Rahman’s wrist spinners to begin for Afghanistan.
Teams
Netherlands won the toss and will bat. Teams:
Netherlands: Barresi, O’Dowd, Ackermann, Engelbrecht, Edwards, De Leede, Zulfiqar, Van Beek, Van der Merwe, Dutt, Van Meekeren
Afghanistan: Gurbaz, Zadran, Shahidi, Shah, Omarzai, Ali Khil, Nabi, Khan, Ur Rahman, Ahmad, Farooqi
The teams are out, and it’s time for the anthems.
Preamble
I’ll be honest, I haven’t been fortunate enough to watch much of this tournament so far. But I hear Afghanistan have been doing great things, and am very much looking forward to watching them play today.
You might be forgiven for thinking that a relatively inauspicious cricketing nation such as the Netherlands would be propping up the 10-team round-robin standings, but that dubious honour is, of course, England’s.
Along with Afghanistan, the Dutch have been doing great things themselves, most notably their stunning victory against South Africa last month. They’ve also beaten Bangladesh (who are second-bottom) so today’s encounter in Lucknow could be a cracker, although Google’s win probability widget gives a 76% chance of an Afghanistan success.
Let’s hope cricket is the winner. We begin at 8.30am UK time.
