AFG vs NED | The Dutch look to bounce back after failing to chase 223 in first ODI

The Netherlands, who had won two out of the four completed games of their Cricket World Cup 2023 Super League campaign, had yet another chance to add to that tally and show to the cricket world that they deserve to play the big guns regularly, when they faced Afghanistan in the first of the three-match ODI series at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar. 

However, the men in orange failed to do so as they were not able to chase down even as modest a target as 223, getting all out at 186 only. It was the first time that an ODI game was played at that venue which Afghanistan is using as its home ground. Rashid Khan was the wrecker in chief with the ball for the team from the Hindukush valley. 

In batting, it was the knocks by skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (73) and Rahmat Shah (70) that powered the Afghan side to reach the total of 22 in its 50 overs.

The Dutch started well, with the first wicket adding 32 in eight overs. The team would hope that Scott Edwards, who was going well having reached his second ODI fifty and career-best 68 before falling to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, shows his class in the second game as well. 

No other Netherlands batter was able to provide as much resistance to the spin of Afghanistan and hence the entire team fell for 186 even as skipper Pieter Seelaar tried the build up a rescue act with his lone hand of 32. 

The Dutch team is without its usual firepower of Max O’Dowd, Tom Cooper, Roelof van der Merwe and Logan van Beek and hence it would have to hope that the likes of Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Philippe Boissevain and Musa Ahmed, who are the up and coming stars, would take much more responsibility in the next game.