- News
- Sports News
- Cricket News
- 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.
Fred Klaassen to Jan Frylinck, Goes full again, a bit closer to the off pole. Frylinck gets inside the line and nudges it to mid-wicket.
Fred Klaassen to Jan Frylinck, FOUR! Punished! A leg stump half-volley, asking to be hit. Frylinck leans into his shot and clips it past straightish mid-wicket for a boundary.
Fred Klaassen to Jan Frylinck, At 116 clicks! Fred Klaassen presents a seam away delivery, keeps in the channel outside off. Frylinck slashes his blade but is beaten by the away movement.
Fred Klaassen to Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Keeps it wide outside off, shorter delivery. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton guides it to third man for a single.
Fred Klaassen to Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Fred Klaassen starts with an outswinger, touch shorter and outside off. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton has a poke at it but misses.
- Jan Frylinck 6 (10)
- Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 1 (2)
Aryan Dutt to Jan Frylinck, Well bowled once again. Dutt pitches it up and follows Frylinck on the leg side, Jan drills it straight to long off, wide enough to collect a couple. 4 runs and a wicket off the over.
Aryan Dutt to Jan Frylinck, Touch fuller and close to the off pole. Frylinck pushes with soft hands to the point fielder.
Aryan Dutt to Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Fractionally short and around off, turning away. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton play with soft hands and behind point for a single to get off the mark.
Aryan Dutt to Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Pushed through, fuller and around off, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton drops it in front of cover.
First one down for Namibia. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton walks out to bat at number 3.
Aryan Dutt to Louren Steenkamp, OUT! STUMPED! Clever bowling from Dutt. Sees Louren Steenkamp charge down the track, Dutt drags his length back and bowls it a touch wide. Steenkamp struggles to put his bat on it because of some extra bounce and is left stranded on the pitch. Too late to turn back and get back in the crease. Scott Edwards, the keeper, hops up and collects it well before whipping the bails off in a flash. Excellent start by Netherlands.
Aryan Dutt to Jan Frylinck, Uppish and safe! Flatter trajectory, around off, Frylinck opens up the off side and strokes it aerially past extra cover and to long off for a single.
- Louren Steenkamp 6 (5)
- Jan Frylinck 3 (7)
Logan van Beek to Louren Steenkamp, A dot to end the over. Tight onto the stumps, on a length. Louren Steenkamp taps it back.
Logan van Beek to Louren Steenkamp, Robust delivery! Short of a good length and around off, it lands and nips away sharply. Louren Steenkamp is pegged back as he looks to defend it away but gets beaten.
Logan van Beek to Louren Steenkamp, FOUR! Nicely timed! Logan bowls on a nagging length and on middle, drifting in a bit. Louren Steenkamp picks it in front of his pads and flicks it through square leg and it races away for the first boundary of the game.
Logan van Beek to Jan Frylinck, Good running once again. Full-length delivery, around the fourth stump. Frylinck pushes it to mid off and scampers through.
Logan van Beek to Jan Frylinck, A good-length delivery on top of off, straighter delivery. Jan Frylinck strokes it to cover.
Logan van Beek to Jan Frylinck, Logan van Beek bowls it touch fuller and just outside off, shaping away. Jan Frylinck presses forward and punches it to mid off.
Is that a run out? It looked close to the naked eye, and it has been sent upstairs. The replay shows that Scott Edwards' gloves touch the stumps, and one of the bails light up. However, the other stays intact, and by the time, the stumps are broken fully, Louren Steenkamp makes his ground with a dive.
- Jan Frylinck 2 (4)
- Louren Steenkamp 2 (2)
Aryan Dutt to Jan Frylinck, NOT OUT! Floats it fuller and around off, Jan Frylinck gets on his knee and knocks it in front of point for yet another sharp single. Too close to the fielder and Louren Steenkamp dives to make his end. The umpire takes it upstairs. Scott Edwards, the keeper, touched the bails before collecting the ball. However, one bail was still intact. Louren got his bat through while the second bail was lit off. So, not out it is.
Aryan Dutt to Jan Frylinck, Bowls a bit into the deck, angling on middle. Jan Frylinck makes room to cut it away but the ball spins away, holds a bit and Jan ends up tapping it to point.
Aryan Dutt to Louren Steenkamp, On a good length and around off, turning in. Steenkamp nudges it through mid-wicket for one more run.
Aryan Dutt to Jan Frylinck, A sharp single and Jan Frylinck is underway too. Tossed up, outside off, Jan drops it in front of point and scampers across for a run.
Aryan Dutt to Jan Frylinck, Around the wicket to the left-hander! A slider onto the pads, Jan Frylinck keeps it out on the leg side.
Aryan Dutt to Louren Steenkamp, Bit of extra bounce as Aryan Dutt tosses it up on middle, Louren Steenkamp turns it to square leg for a single. Namibia are underway.
We are all set to begin now! Scott Edwards leads the Netherlands players on the field as they spread out to take their respective field positions. Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck are the two openers for Namibia. The Dutch are going with spin as they did against Pakistan, with Aryan Dutt taking the new ball. A slip in place as well. Let's play...
We can now see the unfurling of the flags of both nations as the players walk out to the middle and line up for the national anthems. It will be Namibia's first, followed by that of the Netherlands.
Pitch Report - Samuel Badree is pitchside. He says that the weather is nice and cool with the sun beaming down. Adds that the pitch is off centre, but there is not much difference in the square boundaries, not a lot of wind factor as well. Robin Uthappa joins him and says that there is even grass covering on the wicket. Mentions that there are some patches, and a bit of tackiness, but that should subside once the sun comes down harder on the wicket. Says that there will be bounce on this wicket, maybe not like Mumbai or Kolkata, but there will be some bounce. He expects a lot of runs and reckons any score of above 175 will be a winning total.
Namibia's captain - Gerhard Erasmus says they were 50-50 with the toss, so they are happy to bat first under sunny conditions. Adds that the buildup has been phenomenal, they had camps in Dubai before coming here at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Informs that Willem Myburgh will make his debut. It's a special moment for Willem, he has worked hard for many years.
The skipper of the Netherlands - Scott Edwards says that they will bowl first. Adds that it is an early morning game and he thinks that if there is anything in the wicket, it will be now. Mentions that they have played some good cricket but need to improve in some areas and this is another opportunity to execute their plans better. Informs that they have made a couple of changes with Fred Klaassen and Timm van der Gugten back in the XI.
Namibia (Playing XI) - Louren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (C), JJ Smit, Zane Green (WK), Dylan Leicher, Ruben Trumpelmann, Willem Myburgh (On Debut), Bernard Scholtz and Max Heingo.
Netherlands (Playing XI) - Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (C/WK), Zach Lion-Cachet, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe, Timm van der Gugten (In for Paul van Meekeren) and Fred Klaassen (In for Kyle Klein).
Netherlands win toss, opt to field vs Namibia
TOSS - Up goes the coin, and it lands in favour of Scott Edwards. Netherlands elect to BOWL first!
Namibia Squad:
Malan Kruger, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Louren Steenkamp, Gerhard Erasmus(c), JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green(w), Jan Balt, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Dylan Leicher, Jack Brassell, Willem Myburgh, Max Heingo
Netherlands Squad:
Michael Levitt, Max ODowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards(w/c), Zach Lion Cachet, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren, Timm van der Gugten, Saqib Zulfiqar, Fred Klaassen, Noah Croes
Paul van Meekeren’s disciplined spell (2/20) and Roelof van der Merwe’s economy (1/13) dragged Pakistan into a tight contest, while off-spinner Aryan Dutt removed two key batters.
Pakistan’s own middle-order missteps aided the Dutch cause, though lapses at the death — conceding 46 runs in four overs to Logan van Beek and struggling against Faheem Ashraf’s late hitting — underlined the fine margins at play.
Captain Scott Edwards anchored the effort with 37, while Bas de Leede (30) and Colin Ackermann (20 off 14) kept the scoreboard moving through the middle overs.
The innings showcased the Dutch ability to draw runs from beyond the recognised batters, but it also highlighted a familiar concern.
From 105 for four in the 13th over, the Netherlands appeared well placed for a 160-plus total before Pakistan’s spinners applied the squeeze, triggering a collapse of five wickets for 42 runs.
That phase could once again shape the outcome against Namibia’s varied, if less experienced, bowling attack.
The Netherlands’ loss to Pakistan exposed areas that Namibia will look to target, particularly during the middle and death overs.
Though they fell narrowly short against former champions Pakistan, the performance underlined the Netherlands’ growing competitiveness and will serve as a confidence booster heading into this contest.
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
