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- Netherlands vs Namibia highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Bas de Leede shines as Netherlands beat Namibia by 7 wickets
Netherlands vs Namibia highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Bas de Leede shines as Netherlands beat Namibia by 7 wickets
Schedule | Points Table
Put in to bat, Namibia posted a competitive 156 for eight from their 20 overs, built around a measured innings from Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and valuable cameos through the middle. Namibia began cautiously and lost Louren Steenkamp early, but Loftie-Eaton steadied the innings with a patient 42 off 38 balls, mixing placement with timely boundaries. Jan Frylinck supported him with a brisk 30 from 26 deliveries as Namibia reached 60 for two at the halfway stage.
Skipper Gerhard Erasmus briefly lifted the tempo, smashing 18 off just nine balls, while JJ Smit added impetus late with a 22-run cameo off 15 balls. However, Namibia struggled to fully capitalise at the death, losing wickets at regular intervals. Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede were the standout bowlers for the Netherlands, picking up two wickets each and keeping a tight leash during key phases, as Namibia finished slightly below par on a surface that eased under lights.
In reply, the Netherlands made light work of the chase, reaching 159 for three in just 18 overs. Opener Michael Levitt set the tone with an aggressive 28 off 15 balls, including three sixes, before falling in the powerplay. After Max O’Dowd’s early dismissal, Bas de Leede took control of the innings with a composed yet authoritative knock.
De Leede anchored the chase with an unbeaten 72 off 48 balls, striking five fours and four sixes, while rotating the strike efficiently. Colin Ackermann complemented him well with a steady 32 from 28 balls as the pair added a decisive 70-run stand. Namibia’s bowlers struggled to apply sustained pressure, with only Bernard Scholtz and Ruben Trumpelmann managing breakthroughs.
Captain Scott Edwards ensured there were no late hiccups, finishing things off with a rapid 18 not out from nine balls as the Netherlands crossed the line comfortably.
The win further enhanced the Netherlands’ remarkable record in Men’s T20 World Cups. With this victory, they moved to 11 wins overall, the most by any Associate team in the tournament’s history, and boast the best win-loss ratio (0.647) among the 15 Associate sides to have featured so far.
Once again, the Dutch demonstrated why they are no longer just plucky underdogs, but a well-drilled unit capable of consistently delivering on the big stage.
JJ Smit to Michael Levitt, Hits the length hard, on middle and leg, shaping in a bit too. Michael Levitt stays back to work it across the line but misses and gets hit on the pads.
JJ Smit to Bas de Leede, Back of a length and on off, Bas de Leede guides it towards point for a single.
JJ Smit to Bas de Leede, Good length and on middle and off, Bas de Leede pats it back to the bowler.
JJ Smit to Bas de Leede, On a length and on leg, Bas de Leede knocks it towards mid on.
- Michael Levitt 14 (8)
- Bas de Leede 1 (2)
Bernard Scholtz to Michael Levitt, FOUR! Connects right from the middle this time! Bernard Scholtz drags his length back and on middle, begging to be put away. Michael Levitt rocks back early and pulls it to the wide long on fence for a boundary.
Bernard Scholtz to Michael Levitt, Quicker, full and around off, Michael Levitt steers it away towards point.
Bernard Scholtz to Michael Levitt, Floated, full and on middle, Michael Levitt clears his front leg and slogs it, but does not get the timing right. It goes over mid-wicket, but the fielder in the deep runs to his left to cut it out. Two taken.
Bernard Scholtz to Bas de Leede, Short and around off, Bas de Leede punches it to down to long off for a single.
Bernard Scholtz to Bas de Leede, Tossed up, full and on middle, Bas de Leede knocks it down the pitch.
Bas de Leede walks in at number 3.
Bernard Scholtz to Max O'Dowd, OUT! TAKEN! Bernard Scholtz strikes and this is a huge wicket for Namibia. This is a flatter delivery, short and on middle, angling in too. Max O'Dowd looks to swat it over mid on but gets rushed and hits it from the toe-end of the bat. He knows he has not timed it at all as soon as he hits that, and hangs his head down in disappointment. The ball lobs up towards mid on, where Gerhard Erasmus takes a simple catch. Netherlands are 16/1, chasing 157 runs.
- Max O'Dowd 7 (7)
- Michael Levitt 8 (5)
Ruben Trumpelmann to Max O'Dowd, Pitched up and on off, Max O'Dowd opens the face of his bat and drives it square through point for one.
Ruben Trumpelmann to Michael Levitt, Back of a length and around off, Michael Levitt punches it hard towards extra cover. The fielder gets his body behind the ball and makes a half-stop. They cross.
Ruben Trumpelmann to Max O'Dowd, Short of a length and on off, Max O'Dowd dabs it down towards point for a quick single.
Ruben Trumpelmann to Max O'Dowd, That's a beauty! Ruben Trumpelmann bowls a scrambled-seam delivery, lands this on a hard length and on the fifth stump line, nips away after hitting the deck. Max O'Dowd stays back to play with a straight bat but the ball zips past the outside edge.
Ruben Trumpelmann to Max O'Dowd, FOUR! Excellent shot! Fuller delivery again, on middle. Max O'Dowd gives himself some room to access the off side and thrashes it over covers for a boundary.
Ruben Trumpelmann to Max O'Dowd, Much better! Good length and on middle and leg, Max O'Dowd gets behind the line of it and blocks it out.
Ruben Trumpelmann to Max O'Dowd, WIDE! Ruben Trumpelmann errs in line and begins with a fuller one, down the leg side. Max O'Dowd misses his flick. Called a wide.
Pace from the other end? Yes, Ruben Trumpelmann to steam in...
- Michael Levitt 7 (4)
- Max O'Dowd 1 (2)
Bernard Scholtz to Michael Levitt, SIX! BANG! That's aggressive! Bernard Scholtz gives this one a bit more flight and around off. Michael Levitt skips down the track, extends his arms to get under it. He hits it flat and hard and the ball carries over the long off fence for the first biggie of the chase.
Bernard Scholtz to Michael Levitt, A bit of turn! Floated delivery, full and on off, grips and turns away. Michael Levitt gets squared up as the ball goes off the outer half of the bat along the ground to short third.
Bernard Scholtz to Max O'Dowd, Slows it up, full and on middle and leg, Max O'Dowd works it off the inner half of the bat towards mid-wicket for a run.
Bernard Scholtz to Max O'Dowd, Dragged back and around middle, Max O'Dowd pats it down to mid on.
Bernard Scholtz to Michael Levitt, Arm ball, short and on middle, angling into batter. Michael Levitt has no room for the cut but sitll goes through the shot. Gets an inside edge towards short fine for a single. Netherlands are underway in the chase.
Bernard Scholtz to Michael Levitt, Not a bad start! Bernard Scholtz pushes this through quicker, shortish and around off, skids through. Michael Levitt backs away to cut but misses.
Welcome back for the chase. The Namibian players are out in the middle. Michael Levitt and Max O'Dowd to open for Netherlands. Just as the Dutch, Namibia will start with a spinner. Here is Bernard Scholtz...
...THE RUN CHASE...
A tough chase awaits - The ball is stopping and holding on the surface. The Namibian batters tried to force the pace and found it difficult to find their timing. The Netherlands’ chase will require surgical precision rather than raw power. Namibia are still in the game despite scoring just over 150. Can the Netherlands chase it down? Stay tuned to find out.
The battle of the Associates - After winning the toss, the Netherlands elected to bowl first, hoping to exploit any early morning moisture on the Delhi pitch. Despite an early breakthrough by Aryan Dutt, Namibia recovered through a steady partnership between Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and Jan Frylinck. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus added a brisk 18, helping Namibia reach a competitive 156 in a match that eventually saw the Dutch tighten the screws during the death overs. Just as Namibia looked set for a score over 170, Bas de Leede removed the dangerous Gerhard Erasmus, and Logan van Beek returned to redeem himself from the Pakistan game, picking up two crucial wickets to stall the momentum.
Innings break - As we reach the halfway mark in Delhi, the match is nicely poised. Despite the Arun Jaitley Stadium's reputation for being a batter's paradise, the morning conditions and a sticky surface have ensured that runs weren't coming easily. Both sides have had their moments of dominance, but neither has managed to truly run away, keeping the game firmly in balance.
- Willem Myburgh 4 (4)
- Dylan Leicher 6 (5)
Fred Klaassen to Willem Myburgh, OUT! MYBURGH IS RUN OUT! Fred Klaassen goes short again, on middle, slower as well. Willem Myburgh flat-bats it towards long on, and turns around for the second run as he had to but there is never a second there. Logan van Beek picks up the ball and fires in a throw at the batter's end, where Scott Edwards breaks the stumps, with Myburgh well short of his crease. Namibia finish on 156/8.
Fred Klaassen to Dylan Leicher, Back of a length and on middle, Dylan Leicher heaves it to deep mid-wicket for one.
Fred Klaassen to Willem Myburgh, A bit fuller, on middle and leg, Willem Myburgh misses his flick as the ball goes off his pads towards point. A leg bye taken.
Fred Klaassen to Willem Myburgh, Short of a length and outside off, Willem Myburgh punches it wide of cover-point, where the fielder lets it through and the batters come back for the second.
Fred Klaassen to Dylan Leicher, Chance! Fred Klaassen lands this on a hard length and on middle, Dylan Leicher swats it off the upper half of the bat back towards the bowler. Klaasen tries to grab it above his head with a leap but it goes through. They cross.
Fred Klaassen to Dylan Leicher, Back of a length and outside off, Dylan Leicher cuts it away wide of deep point for a couple of runs. 150 up for Namibia!
- Dylan Leicher 2 (2)
- Willem Myburgh 1 (1)
Bas de Leede to Dylan Leicher, Length again, on middle, Dylan Leicher nudges it through mid-wicket for one more. There is another mix-up but no harm done this time.
Bas de Leede to Willem Myburgh, On a length and around off, Willem Myburgh guides it to deep third for one.
Bas de Leede to Willem Myburgh, WIDE! Pitched up but down the leg side, Willem Myburgh misses his flick. Wided.
Willem Myburgh, the debutant, joins Dylan Leicher in the middle.
Bas de Leede to Ruben Trumpelmann, OUT! TRUMPELMANN IS RUN OUT! Absolute brain-fade moment, and Namibia slip further. This is on a hard length and on middle, slower again. Ruben Trumpelmann tries to heave but goes through the shot early and misses. It hits his midriff and drops on the off side beside the pitch. Ruben sets off for the run as his partner calls, but then Dylan Leicher sends him back. However, Bas de Leede is quick to get to the ball and runs to break the stumps at the batter's end, with Trumpelmann out of his crease.
Bas de Leede to Dylan Leicher, Pitched up and outside off, Dylan Leicher squeezes it out to deep point for a run.
Bas de Leede to Ruben Trumpelmann, Bangs this into the pitch, on middle, takes pace off. Ruben Trumpelmann almost goes through his pull shot early but adjusts well to get it through square leg for a single.
Bas de Leede to Ruben Trumpelmann, SIX! Wow...that is a massive hit! Bas de Leede serves this full, on middle, right in the slot. Ruben Trumpelmann gets his front leg out of the way and dismisses it out of his presence over the deep mid-wicket fence for a 92-meter biggie.
The next batter in is Dylan Leicher.
- Zane Green 9 (10)
- Ruben Trumpelmann 2 (5)
Fred Klaassen to Zane Green, OUT! CAUGHT IN THE DEEP! Fred Klaassen gets his man. He sticks to the slower delivery, lands this a touch fuller, on middle. Zane Green once again tries the reverse sweep but swings his willow a bit early. The ball catches the toe-end of the bat and flies towards deep point, where Michael Levitt pouches it safely. Namibia are 137/6 now.
Fred Klaassen to Zane Green, Gives no pace at all, on a good length and on middle, Zane Green only manages to pat it back to the bowler.
Fred Klaassen to Zane Green, FOUR! Gets it away! Fred Klaassen pulls his length back a bit, bowls it slower again, on off. Zane Green changes his stance early and plays the reverse paddle past short third for a boundary.
Fred Klaassen to Ruben Trumpelmann, Touch fuller and around off, Ruben Trumpelmann forces it down to long off for a single.
Fred Klaassen to Ruben Trumpelmann, The dots will not help! Fred Klaassen rolls his fingers to take the pace off, lands this on a hard length, outside off. Ruben Trumpelmann has a heave across the line but goes through the shot very early and fails to connect.
Asked to bat first, Namibia posted a competitive 156 for eight, built around a measured knock from Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who top-scored with 42 off 38 balls. Jan Frylinck gave the innings early impetus with 30 from 26 deliveries, while skipper Gerhard Erasmus provided a late spark, blazing away to 18 off just nine balls. JJ Smit’s brisk 22 off 15 balls helped Namibia maintain momentum through the middle overs, but regular wickets prevented them from fully capitalising.
The Netherlands bowlers kept things tight, with Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede leading the charge. Van Beek’s controlled spell of 2 for 13 and de Leede’s 2 for 20 ensured Namibia were never able to break free, while Aryan Dutt also impressed with his economy, conceding just 13 runs in three overs.
In reply, the Dutch chase was anchored by a superb all-round performance from de Leede, who followed up his bowling effort with an unbeaten 72 off 48 balls. Opener Michael Levitt set the tone with a quickfire 28 from 15 deliveries, striking three sixes to power the Netherlands to 50 in the powerplay. Although Levitt and Max O’Dowd departed early, de Leede and Colin Ackermann stitched together a decisive partnership.
Ackermann played the supporting role to perfection, scoring 32 off 28 balls as the pair added 70 runs for the third wicket, steadily taking the game away from Namibia. After Ackermann fell late in the chase, skipper Scott Edwards finished things off in style, smashing 18 not out from nine balls to seal victory in the 18th over.
The win further burnished the Netherlands’ impressive record at the Men’s T20 World Cup. With 11 victories, they now have the most wins among Associate teams in the tournament’s history, ahead of Scotland (8), Afghanistan and Namibia (5 each), and Ireland (3). Their win-loss ratio of 0.647 remains the best among the 15 Associate nations to have featured in the competition.
For Namibia, the defeat highlighted familiar issues — competitive totals undone by disciplined bowling and composed batting from the opposition. For the Netherlands, it was another statement performance, blending control, depth and big-match temperament on the global stage.
Match Statistics
Venue
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
