OPINION
Follow UsFor many, it comes as no surprise that the Netherlands finished bottom of the table in the 10-team World Cup. The Netherlands’ chance to play in the World Cup was heavily stacked against them, just like it has been for many associate nations. They are usually put through hoops by playing the League 2, the Qualifiers and then only two from there go on to play the World Cup.
But for the Dutch, who played in the only edition of the ODI Super League – they saw this as an opportunity. An opportunity to script history and tell the world that Dutch cricket – for that matter, the quality of the associate cricket – is at an all-time high.
What does Netherlands’ performance mean for associate cricket?
You have to go all the way back to 2003, when an associate team won more than two games in a single World Cup edition. For Kenya, it was certainly punching above their weight at that point. However, for the Netherlands, just winning two games will certainly be considered a failure by the high standards they have set in the recent past.
They pipped a team like West Indies, to make it to the World Cup. The same West Indies team, considered among the top 10 teams in the world, who failed to edge past the likes of Scotland and the Netherlands to make the mega event. Also, the same West Indies side, who won just two games in the 2019 edition – as many as the Dutch have this time around.
If anything, this should drive home the point of the gap reducing between (at least some) full members and the associate nations. But what the Netherlands have been put through during their five weeks in India is that there is indeed a lot of work still to be done if they want to compete against these teams consistently at the highest level.
A quick World Cup recap
The wins against South Africa – firm contenders to the title – and Bangladesh showed the world that they are here not just to make up the numbers but indeed stay true to their goal of making the semis.
A quick glance at the statistics from the Netherlands’ campaign would tell you that they were the worst batting side in the competition in every parameter, including run-rate (4.9), runs per wicket (21.2), balls per wicket (26.1) and balls per boundary (11.7).
However, what it will not tell you is the sort of role the lower-order played in helping them recover to a decent and at times match-winning position. Be it against South Africa, where they recovered to post 245 in 43 overs after being down and out at 112 for 6 or against Sri Lanka where they were reduced to 91 for 6, before they went on to post a formidable 262.
With the ball, they were on the receiving end of some of the biggest totals, including 410 for 4 against India in Bengaluru and 399 for 8 against Australia in Delhi. Their bowlers, including Bas de Leede and Logan van Beek, considered to be the backbone of the Netherlands’ bowling attack, also conceded over 100 runs in a match, while fellow fast bowler Paul van Meekeren also went for 90 in one of his spells.
If there’s any consolation, the Netherlands have ended the World Cup as the best catching side with an efficiency of 88.2% - just dropping six in the entire tournament – which is the least by any team.
Other than that, the performance of Scott Edwards was inspiring. He played a huge role in the two wins in the tournament, where he scored fifties, further highlighting his importance to the team. Sybrand Engelbrecht, who was eligible to play for the Dutch only in June this year, finished the tournament as the highest run-getter with 300 runs.
For Bas de Leede, this could have been a World Cup which could have potentially propelled him to greater heights, but it was't to be. This has been a major step up even for young Aryan Dutt who braved took on bowling in the first 10 overs with ease against some of the biggest gitters in the world.
Also Read: Now an MBA, Sybrand Engelbrecht rediscovers love for cricket
A look ahead
If anything, this World Cup is certainly a learning curve for the Dutch. In fact, since 2021, they have played more ODI cricket than full members like England, Australia, Pakistan, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. Moreover, they have taken on West Indies, Ireland, England, New Zealand and Pakistan in a bilateral series during this period, where more often than not, they have held their own.
With the scrapping of the Super League, the opportunity to play big teams will certainly go down. What the Dutch have to look forward to now is playing in League 2, where they will once again be pitted against teams like Oman, Scotland, Nepal, Namibia, etc…
Head coach Ryan Cook’s appeal ahead of the World Cup requesting teams to play them fell on deaf ears. As things stand, barring their fixtures in League 2, the Dutch do not have any matches lined up against the top 12 sides, which is indeed a pity.
Also Read: Netherlands ready to 'co-achieve' the Ryan Cook way
However, this is certainly not the last we will see the Netherlands in world events. Yes, they may have missed an opportunity to create history by qualifying for the Champions Trophy for the first time, but they have already secured a place in the T20 World Cup in June next year, thanks to their wonderful show performance in Australia last year, where they beat South Africa and Zimbabwe to secure their place.
Moreover, the 2027 50-over World Cup will be a 14-team event, which gives them another crack at playing at this stage. The Netherlands, who have been the most consistent teams outside the Test-playing nations, will leave no stone unturned to ensure they are part of the event. But they may have to go into that without some of their pillars, like Colin Ackermann, Wesley Barresi, Roelof van der Merwe, among others. Their fading careers, will no doubt inspire a new generation of Dutch cricketers. Hopefully, there will be way more than just 6,000 registered cricketers in the country.
When will Campbell’s dream turn into reality?
The game of cricket was not telecast in the Netherlands before 2021. In fact, the first series to be telecast in the country was the ODI series against Ireland played in Utrecht, which the Dutch won 2-1.
For former head coach Ryan Campbell that will hopefully cumulate in kids finally considering cricket as a full-time opportunity in the country.
“Every sportsman, I believe started because they saw it on TV or they saw something that grabbed their attention. The Dutch kids don’t see that – they watch football or hockey. We are making the very most of what we’ve done, and this is the credit to the wonderful team I have. They have driven cricket forward in the Netherlands,” Campbell had told Cricket.com in 2021.
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“Hopefully, if we can do well, stay in the Super League and also have good performance at the [T20] World Cup [2021], we can then get the next generation of youngsters coming through the system and the supply lines will be there and the talented youngsters will play at the international level. They can have a career at international cricket by being a full-time Dutch cricketer. That, to me, is the end result.”
Campbell may have parted ways after five successful years at the helm but the dream to add to the cricketing talents in the country on a consistent basis still remains a distant dream. Campbell’s dream turning into reality is what Dutch cricket, too, would want in the end.
They can look at this World Cup to perhaps further solidify their Topklasse system, maybe be on the lookout for more players to play in T20 leagues or figure out ways where the current crop of cricketers who work full-time jobs can make cricket into one.
With the ICC doing little to give the associate nations their share of the revenue and doing very little to nothing about improving cricket at the grassroots level in the country, the onus is really on the board to milk the exposure that the players have received and make something of it that allows cricket in the Netherlands grow. As of now, they seem to be dependent in getting quality players from elsewhere.
