Netherlands Bowlers Set the Stage Early
The game at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas had a clear script from the very start. Nepal took the pitch first, but their batting just never found any flow. The Dutch bowling unit was on top of its game, making sure Nepal never really got going. Tim Pringle, in particular, turned heads with his well-targeted deliveries, nabbing three wickets and setting the tone for the rest of the inning. He was backed up by Logan van Beek and Paul van Meekeren, who each grabbed two wickets and made scoring feel like climbing a mountain for the Nepal lineup.
Nepal’s captain, Rohit Paudel, tried to put up some resistance, fighting his way to 35 runs off 37 balls, hitting five boundaries along the way. But the support just wasn’t there—Gulsan Jha pitched in with 14 and Anil Sah managed 11, but the rest of the batters looked out of sorts under pressure. Nepal tumbled to 106 all out in just under 20 overs, a total that rarely scares any team in a T20 chase.
Professional Chase Seals Dutch Win
When it was the Netherlands’ turn with the bat, the job was clear: chase down a manageable score with calm heads. The Dutch didn’t go for fireworks. Instead, they chose a steady, professional approach, never letting the run rate or the Nepal bowlers rattle them. Openers took their time, rotated the strike and didn’t get drawn into risky shots. Even as Nepal tried to squeeze the run flow with tight overs, the pressure never got to the Dutch line-up.
Despite losing four wickets, Netherlands always seemed a step ahead, eventually getting across the line with eight balls left, finishing on 109 for 4. The win was just what they needed to kick off their campaign in Group D, putting them in a strong position right out of the gate.
This T20 World Cup 2024 win gives Netherlands not just two points in the standings, but also a massive confidence boost. Their bowlers, especially Pringle’s left-arm spin and van Beek’s ability to rattle the stumps, have shown they're going to be a threat in the matches to come. For Nepal, the focus turns quickly to fixing up their batting order and finding a way to go deeper in their next outings. Their captain, Rohit Paudel, carried the bulk of the responsibility, but cricket’s a team game—and they will need bigger efforts from the rest if they’re to make a mark in this tournament.