Van Meekeren’s Five-Wicket Blitz Seals Win for Netherlands Over Canada
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match between Canada and the Netherlands on August 17, 2024, was a gripping encounter that showcased intense competition between the two teams. Canada won the toss and elected to field first, setting the stage for a challenging day of cricket. The match, held as a day game, marked ODI no. 4758 in the series.
The Netherlands opened their batting with Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd. However, Levitt was dismissed early, caught by Kirton off Kaleem Sana’s bowling, for a duck in just the first over. Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh attempted to stabilize the innings but faced challenges from Canada’s disciplined bowling attack. O’Dowd managed to score 18 off 27 balls before being trapped lbw by Harsh Thaker, while Singh contributed a quick 25 off 23 balls before falling to Heyliger, with Kirton again taking the catch.
The Netherlands’ innings saw some resilience from their captain, Scott Edwards, who played a crucial role, scoring 72 off 94 balls. His innings, which included three boundaries, was the backbone of the Dutch total. He received some support from Noah Croes, who chipped in with 31 runs, but the Canadian bowlers kept a tight grip on the game. Harsh Thaker, Dilon Heyliger, and Kaleem Sana were the pick of the bowlers, with Sana leading the charge by taking four wickets for just 30 runs.
Despite Edwards’ efforts, the Netherlands struggled to build significant partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals. The last five wickets fell for just 81 runs, with the team being bowled out for 220 in 47.2 overs.
Chasing a target of 221, Canada’s innings started promisingly with Aaron Johnson and Dilpreet Bajwa at the crease. Johnson was aggressive, scoring 32 off 28 balls, which included six boundaries and one six. However, Vivian Kingma struck twice in quick succession, dismissing both Johnson and Bajwa, the latter for 20, to put the Netherlands back in the game.
Canada’s middle order crumbled under pressure, with Pargat Singh, Harsh Thaker, and captain Nicholas Kirton all falling cheaply. Paul van Meekeren was the chief destroyer for the Netherlands, taking advantage of the Canadian collapse by picking up five wickets for just 28 runs in his 9.4 overs. His spell included the vital wickets of Singh, Thaker, and the well-set Shreyas Movva, who tried to anchor the innings with a determined 47 off 72 balls.
As wickets tumbled, Canada struggled to build momentum. Contributions from Saad Bin Zafar (12), Dilon Heyliger (14), and Junaid Siddiqui (5) were not enough to rescue the innings. The Netherlands’ bowlers maintained pressure throughout, with Kingma, Shariz Ahmad, and Aryan Dutt all chipping in with crucial wickets.
In the end, Canada was bowled out for 157 in 35.4 overs, falling 63 runs short of the target. Paul van Meekeren’s exceptional bowling performance earned him the Player of the Match award, as the Netherlands secured a comfortable victory.
