Pakistan overcome Netherlands and de Leede to win World Cup opener

Pakistan opened their World Cup campaign with a comfortable 81-run win against the Netherlands on Friday, overcoming an impressive performance from Dutch all-rounder Bas de Leede.

The 1992 champions were bowled out for a fighting 286 in 49 overs with 68 each from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan before dismissing their opponents for 205 in 41 overs.

“I am satisfied with the result,” said Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

“Credit to the bowlers, we started well and took wickets in the middle. We lost three wickets while batting but the way Rizwan and Shakeel started took it away.”

Pakistan faced tough resistance from De Leede who took 4-62 to thwart Pakistan’s pursuit of a big total after they were put in to bat on a flat Rajiv Gandhi Stadium pitch.

De Leede then anchored his team’s innings with a polished 68-ball 67 spiced with two sixes and six boundaries.

However, once he was clean-bowled by spinner Mohammad Nawaz in the 34th over the Dutch, who were 120-2 at one stage, fell apart.

The Netherlands lost Max O’Dowd (five) and Colin Ackermann (17) before de Leede and opener Vikramjit Singh (52 off 67 balls) led the recovery with a 70-run stand for the third wicket.

Singh, who hit four boundaries and a six, holed out to spinner Shadab Khan before pacer Haris Rauf removed Teja Nidamanuru (five) and rival skipper Scott Edwards without scoring to finish with 3-43.

Logan van Beek hit three boundaries and a six in his run-a-ball 28 to prolong the resistance but Rauf dismissed Paul van Meekeren for seven to give his team the victory.

“It’s a bit disappointing. We bowled and fielded well,” said Edwards.

“We thought we had a good chance at 120-2. De Leede is a quality cricketer in all three departments. His innings was awesome, we just needed someone to be with him.”

Earlier, the Netherlands justified the decision to bowl first as fast bowler van Beek had out-of-form opener Fakhar Zaman caught and bowled for 12 in the fourth over.

Spinner Ackermann then claimed the prized wicket of Azam for five before van Meekeren dismissed Imam-ul-Haq for 15 to leave Pakistan tottering at 38-3.

Shakeel and Rizwan — playing their first World Cup match — steadied the innings with a solid 120-run stand for the fourth wicket but three wickets fell in the space of 24 balls for 30 runs.

Shakeel, who struck nine boundaries and a six, miscued a sweep off spinner Aryan Dutt before De Leede bowled Rizwan and had Iftikhar Ahmed for nine.

Rizwan hit eight boundaries.

Pakistan were further lifted as Nawaz (39) and Shadab (32) added 64 for the seventh wicket but De Leede dismissed Shadab and Hasan Ali off successive deliveries.

Nawaz was run out in the 47th over before Rauf’s dismissal by Ackermann finished the innings in 49 overs.