T20 World Cup: Netherlands Open Account with Dominant Victory Over Namibia

Bas de Leede delivered a commanding all-round performance to power the Netherlands to a seven-wicket win over Namibia, helping his side register their first victory of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

After a narrow loss to Pakistan in their opening match in Colombo, the Dutch side responded in style in Delhi, producing a composed display with both bat and ball. De Leede was central to the turnaround, first striking twice during Namibia’s innings before anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 72 off 48 balls.

Namibia, batting first, began steadily and moved to 60 for 1 in the first nine overs. However, the momentum shifted once Logan van Beek dismissed Jan Frylinck, who had contributed 30. De Leede then tightened the screws, removing skipper Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit to stall the innings, while Van Beek returned to send back Nicol Loftie-Eaton after his patient 42. Namibia eventually closed on 156 for 8.

The Netherlands lost opener Max O’Dowd early in the chase, but a crucial 70-run stand between De Leede and Colin Ackerman stabilised the innings. Ackerman’s 32 provided support, but it was De Leede who dominated proceedings, striking five boundaries and four sixes to guide the Dutch home comfortably.

The victory marked the Netherlands’ biggest win in T20 World Cup history and underlined De Leede’s growing stature in the format. His match-winning effort also made him the first Netherlands player to score a half-century and claim two wickets in the same T20 World Cup game.

The Netherlands will next face the United States on Friday, while Namibia are set to take on defending champions India in their upcoming fixture.

ALSO READ: T20 World Cup: NZ Eye Second Straight Win as UAE Begin Their Campaign