Photo: Facebook
Dutch captain Scott Edwards said Bas de Leede deserved to be immortalised by a statue after his magnificent all-round performance secured The Netherlands the final spot in the Cricket World Cup on Thursday.
De Leede struck a brilliant 123 after taking 5-52 in the Scottish innings as the Dutch won by four wickets in a thrilling match.
The Dutch join Sri Lanka in reaching the sport’s quadrennial showpiece which is being hosted by India in October and November.
It will be their fifth appearance in the tournament but first since 2011.
“That was unbelievable to watch. This group is just incredible,” Edwards told Sky Sports.
“We were confident in the squad we brought, and even the games we lost we played pretty good cricket.
“It’s an awesome feeling. Some unbelievable batting from Bas and Saqib at the end, and we’ve got through — that’s all I’ve got!
“Build the man a statue — five wickets and 120-odd there.
“He’s an unbelievable player, we’ve always known that. It’s not the first time he’s done it, and it won’t be the last,” added the 26-year-old Australia-born wicketkeeper.
The Dutch had looked down and out on a couple of occasions in their innings — at one point they were 108-4 — but de Leede was unstoppable in chasing down Scotland’s 277/9.
The 23-year-old’s 123 included seven fours and five sixes — two in succession took him to his century — and his fifth-wicket partnership of 113 with Saqib Zulfiqar (33no) proved crucial for the win.
“We had a look at where we wanted to be at the halfway point, and from there you’ve got to do it,” de Leede told Sky Sports.
“It was 10 to 11 an over, so for us it was about going into T20 mode.
“We tried to take as many runs as possible in each over and just see where we would end up.
“It’s amazing, I can’t describe the feeling, and it will be one big party tonight.”
Scotland had set the Dutch a challenging total thanks largely to a 137-run partnership for the fourth wicket between South African-born pair Brandon McMullen and captain Richie Berrington.
McMullen made a sublime 106 and Berrington a punchy 64 — Tom Mackintosh chipped in with an crowd-pleasing unbeaten 38 at the end of the innings.
Berrington was, like his team-mates, distraught as they saw their dreams of a fourth World Cup appearance dashed after a rollercoaster of a match.
“A really tough one to take. The guys are hurting,” the 36-year-old told Sky Sports. “From my side, I’m extremely proud of the fight we’ve shown throughout this tournament.
“Unfortunately today it wasn’t enough and credit to de Leede for the way he played.
“Through that middle phase we created pressure, but then we just weren’t as disciplined as we have been. Holland were the better team and found a way to get over the line.”
