NED vs NAM | Twitter in awe as De Leede’s all-round show helps Netherlands thump Namibia by seven wickets

‌Netherlands tasted their maiden win in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 with a seven-wicket thrashing of Namibia in a Group A game in Delhi on Tuesday. Bas de Leede was the star performer for the Orange Army with both bat and ball, first picking up two wickets to restrict the African side to 156/8 before smashing a blistering unbeaten 72 off just 48 balls, which included four sixes and five boundaries, to take his side to 159/3 in the chase.

After being put into bat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Namibia lost opener Louren Steenkamp as early as the third over with Scott Edwards effecting a stumping off spinner Aryan Dutt. Post his dismissal, fellow opener Jan Frylinck and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton eschewed risk and prioritised preserving wickets, ending the six-over powerplay at 40/1. Just as Namibia were progressing smoothly, captain Edwards brought back Logan van Beek and he was rewarded instantly with the wicket of Frylinck, who returned after scoring three fours and a six in his 26-ball 30. Though Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus (18) showed intent and tried to push the run rate higher with his entertaining cameo, he and the well-set Loftie-Eaton departed in quick succession to put the side in a spot of bother. However JJ Smit’s impactful knock of 22 off just 15, along with some collective contributions from the tail, Namibia went past the 150-run mark and set a target of 157. Loftie-Eaton was the side’s top-scorer with a patient 42, that came in 38 balls and included two sixes and a boundary. Meanwhile, the pace duo of Bas de Leede and Van Beek ended with figures of 2/20 and 2/13, respectively, in their three overs.

The chase did not start on expected lines for the Dutch as they lost Max O’Dowd cheaply in the third over. But fellow opener Michael Levitt (28) looked aggressive with three sixes and a boundary in his 15-ball stay but bit the dust in an attempt to make most use of the powerplay as the score read 50/2 after the six-over mark. However, De Leede held the innings together as he built a crucial 70-run partnership for the third wicket with Colin Ackermann that calmed the nerves in the dressing room. The pair rotated strike impressively and kept the scoreboard ticking, adding 27 runs in the next four overs, despite the fact that only a single boundary came during that period. Once set, the pace-bowling all-rounder went berserk with sixes off Erasmus and Loftie-Eaton in consecutive overs. Though Ackermann (32) departed in the 14th over, de Leede showed no signs of slowing down, getting to his fifty with a boundary, an over later. From then on it was just a formality as he ended the chase with a six and four off Loftie-Eaton, in the company of captain Edwards, with two overs to spare.

Nice

Doing it all!

Brilliant

Big win

What a player

Defeated

POTM

What a win!

Beat him

Wow!