*NETHERLANDS VS SCOTLAND SUPER SIXES MATCH 8 PREVIEW- ICC WORLDCUP QUALIFIERS 2023*
*THE BUILD UP:*
If you would have told me at the start of this tournament that one out of Netherlands and Scotland is going to fight for the ultimate glory and will have a tussle to make it to India to compete with all the other teams, I would have laughed at you. Never ever did I believe that both Windies and Zimbabwe would crash out and make their fans sad but here we are- watching it live and witnessing it happening. Both these outfits have been the underdogs, coming in as underperformers only to rock the world and coincidently, topple Windies one by one. Another similarity has been the form of their skippers, Edwards and Berrington. Both have scored over 200 runs at healthy averages of 96 and 45 and look set to make it count one last time.
At the end, it all boils down to the belief which teams have. Having a certain skillset and performance criteria is different but to be able to have the right mental strength and positivity is what truly matters in competitive tournaments like these. Scotland have shown it all the way with 5/6 wins, losing solely to Srilanka who already have the Q mark in front of them. On the other hand, we have Netherlands who came close but short against SL and were toppled by Zimbabwe but still find themselves alive and kicking, all ready and in to give their final shot at what could be an absolutely proud moment, one to cherish.
*NED PROBABLE XI:*
Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Wesley Barresi, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Ryan Klein, Aryan Dutt, Clayton Floyd
Probably the only batter in their lineup who was producing below par returns, also returned to form last game after completing a well rounded century vs Oman. Yes, I’m discussing Vikramjit Singh here who smoked the Omani bowlers for 11 fours and to go along with that 2 sixes and made 110. He is coming off some good match time and form and would look to capitalise on this. His opening partnership with Max O’Dowd could be one to keep a close eye on as the latter has also been among the runs with 246 under his belt, at an average of 41. It would be very interesting to see how they fare against Chris Sole who has send the stumps cartwheeling on numerous occasions.
Bas De Leede has been the frontline pacer of Netherlands with 10 wickets up his sleeves at an average of 28. Though he went wicketless last game, his free spiritedness and his accuracy with the bowl can be a blessing today against Scotland. His cameos with the bat are also cherished as much,making him an allround package that all teams deserve. The manner in which he ended up scoring 39 off just 19 showed his skills as a finisher and Bas De Leede would be aiming at coming clutch tomorrow vs the Scotts, who have been flying high.
*SCOT PROBABLE XI:*
Christopher McBride, Matthew Cross (wk), Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Richie Berrington (c), Tomas Mackintosh, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole
Scotland are coming off a historic run, having defeating Windies and Zimbabwe back to back-probably the toughest two teams in this tournament after the already qualified Srilanka. Their road seems smooth now but they will know the risks that come along, while facing teams similar to them.
Michael Leask has come handy whenever the team has needed him. They wanted him to shine vs Zimbabwe and he did. Something similar was expected vs Ireland and he once again outdid the others. The 48(34) that he scored at a strike rate of 140 last game where Scotland ended up with just 234, were without a doubt, a blessing. By picking up the wickets of Ryan Burl who was marching along nicely in his 80s and Richard Ngarava, he brought the Scotts back into the reckoning. Despite Sole collecting the POTM award, it was truly the heroics of Leask that turned into gold for Scotland. He’d be raring to go one last time.
With his high arm skiddy action, Chris Sole has attracted not just mine but the worlds attention. He finished with an impressive three-fer vs Scotland and rocked their top order early, an aspect which he would like to fulfill even tomorrow. He averages a mere 21 with the bowl, having 11 wickets with an economy rate under 5. He has been arguably the best bowler of this tournament and Netherlands will see this as a challenge they need to overcome if they have to start the hunt. The 29 year old has shown a lot of pedigree already and his spells worth remembering have come against teams that were superior on paper so toppling Netherlands should come as a happy task.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR NED:*
Highest run getter- Scott Edwards/Barresi
Highest wicket taker- Bas De Leede/Logan Van Beek
*FOR SCOT:*
Highest run getter- Berrington/George Munsey
Highest wicket taker- Michael Leask/Chris Sole
*FOR THE GAME:*
Scotland to win