Weakened Netherlands wins Series on very last ball
Published at 01 July, 2022Without the injured Heather Siegers the Dutch womens team has won the decider T20 against Namibia. Namibia needed three runs of the final over, but Frédérique Overdijk bowled a brilliant wicket maiden.
The fifth and final T20I would be the decider after the Netherlands had leveled the Series on Thursday. Local showers meant the the first ball could be bowled shortly after 1.30 PM.
As a result of the quick fall of the first wicket, Sterre Kalis and Babette de Leede in fact ‘opened’ the batting. The two raced to 36/1 after five overs and a bit, when Sterre was dropped when she was on 25.
The 50 came in the eleventh over, with Kalis playing the attacking shots and De Leede (15) playing the support act.
When Sterre (39) was caught at mid off, the score was 65/3 in the fifteenth over.
A firmly hit straight drive by Robine Rijke disappeared into the hands of bowler Dietlind Foerster. It even became 79/5 when Eva Lynch tested the bowler’s catching skills once again.
Iris Zwilling (22 off 16 balls) played an excellent innings until she was stumped (93/6). A number of singles later, the Dutch final score was 97/7.
Namibia innings
Iris Zwilling struck in her first over when Sterre Kalis took a simple catch at short extra cover.
Now the Wittmann/ Khan partnership had to be broken. This was achieved by Isabel van der Woning who caught Khan off Eva Lynch’s bowling: Namibia 27/2.
The crowd asked for Caroline de Lange. A catch by Robine Rijke off Caroline’s bowling meant 27/3.
One over later, Eva Lynch sprinted towards square leg from short mid wicket to take a fine catch.
A bit too many bad balls led to as many boundaries in this phase. But Jolien van Vliet’s catch behind the stumps was the fifth Namibian wicket to fall.
As a result of several fumbles in the outfield, ones were turned into twos, which could prove costly. The required run rate never rose above six runs per over.
Gorases and Irene Van Zyl had not yet made a lot of runs in the Series, but they had clearly saved the best for the last. The running between the wickets in particular was a lot cheekier than the Dutch had shown earlier in the day.
Gorases and Van Zyl seemed to finish the job handsomely, but a wild swing ended Gorases’ fine knock.
Shihepo gratefully accepted a full toss that was ruthlessly dispatched. This boundary meant that Namibia only needed three runs off the last over.
Just at this stage, Van Zyl opted for a rampshot that cost her. It was unnecessary and dangerous, as now the number nine had to finish the job. She was unable to get bat on ball due to a brilliant final over by Frédérique Overdijk.
This meant that stand-in captain Babette de Leede could still lift the trophy she received from acting KNCB CEO Richard de Winter.
We have seen five good games of cricket, in which the bowling and fielding outclassed the batting, and we saw two evenly poised teams eager to learn.
