Photo Credit: ICC
Logan van Beek revelled in instant redemption after his one-man show in the super over led Netherlands to a vital victory over West Indies.
Following a dramatic tie in Harare, van Beek clubbed 30 from six Jason Holder deliveries before taking on bowling responsibilities and claiming two for eight.
The feeling was particularly sweet for the all-rounder following the ending to his side’s run chase, when he fell to the final delivery of the 50th over with just a single required.
“The amount of games I have lost from those situations, it was just satisfying to get across the line,” he said.
“I just backed my skill – if you miss, I am going to hit it. I was pretty disappointed with the last ball that I chunked it to mid-on.
“I’m thankful I got a little bit of redemption. I thought I wanted to give myself a chance and when that 49th over came, I wanted to go after it.”
Netherlands’ response to West Indies’ imposing total of 374 for six saw several batters chip in, with the rapid 143-run stand between centurion Teja Nidamanuru, who made 111 from 76 deliveries, and skipper Scott Edwards (67) particularly crucial.
Van Beek added a 14-ball 28 at the death before shining in the super over and hopes this can act as a springboard as his side prepare for the Super Six stage, with Netherlands looking to qualify for their first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup since 2011.
“We wanted to do something special,” van Beek added. “To watch Scotty [Edwards] and Teja [Nidamanuru] out there, the more they batted, the more we believed.
“I have been playing for a long time and this result is testament to the culture that we have built and the learnings we have taken through the last 18-19 months.
“Now we have a chance to go to the World Cup in India and that is really huge.”
West Indies, by contrast, have an uphill battle on their hands if they are to make it to India.
They enter the Super Six without a point to their name following their second consecutive defeat, leaving captain Shai Hope a frustrated figure.
“We let ourselves down there,” he said. “I could not see us scoring 375 and losing the game.
“Credit to Netherlands for chasing that down. Cricket is not played in one half. We knew we had to bowl well but I always thought 375 would be enough.
“We definitely need to learn from this. We know what we have to do now. It is an unfortunate situation we have put ourselves in, but it is what it is.”
