Wanted to bat deep and hoped for other contributions: Edwards

"The opportunity to play in a World Cup is something that a lot of these guys would have dreamed of," The Netherlands’ captain, Scott Edwards, said in an exclusive interview with ESPNCricinfo. 

For the Dutch team, qualifying for the 2023 ODI World Cup was a dream come true. But the goal for them didn’t stop there, with Edwards famously saying that they wanted to have a shot at the semi-final spot in the World Cup. 

The Dutch side’s preparation was underway earlier last month when they landed in Bangalore, where they practised at the Karnataka Cricket Association Stadium (KSCA) in Alur. From thereon, the Dutch side turned corners quickly, with a good display against Pakistan and New Zealand before making history against South Africa. 

At 140/7, a chance to make the semi-final was the last thing on Edwards’ mind (78 off 69), with the Dutch skipper wanting to play out of the total 43 overs on the day. When a seasoned veteran, Roelof van der Merwe, joined him at the crease, the plan was to throw South Africa’s rigid plans out of the window. 

“Over the last couple of games too many of our middle order batters were being out before the end of the game, so I wanted to take it deep and hope a couple of guys around me chip in and we are lucky enough to get that score in the end,” Edwards was honest in his assessment of the batting department. 

“He's (Roelof van der Merwe) good fun to bat with, he runs hard and hits into some strange areas, which is good fun to watch from the other end,” he added.

Van der Merwe’s cameo was a big boost to the Dutch campaign, with a 19-ball 29 that took the Dutch side over 200. Edwards appreciated the all-rounder’s efforts, stating that it is ‘good fun’ to bat alongside him. 

With Edwards well past his half-century, Aryan Dutt came out swinging. The right-hander was at his immaculate best with the bat, scoring 23 off nine balls, hitting three massive sixes, pouncing upon the slower deliveries from the South African pacers. 

“I just got him (Aryan Dutt) on strike and he was clearing the ropes, he's got the talent and it's all there to see tonight,” he further added.

With the ball in hand as well, the Dutch side were well prepared for the occasion, with seven out of the first eight overs was bowled by the two off-spinners - Dutt and Colin Ackermann, with the latter eventually removing the dangerous de Kock. 

Should’ve been playing cricket today 😏😢 now I’m delivering Uber eats to get through the winter months!! Funny how things change hahaha keep smiling people 😁 https://t.co/kwVEIo6We9

— Paul van Meekeren (@paulvanmeekeren) November 15, 2020

It wasn’t just that, the journey of Paul van Meekeren is now well-documented. Back in November 2020, the right-arm pacer had tweeted, “Should’ve been playing cricket today 😏😢 now I’m delivering Uber eats to get through the winter months!! Funny how things change hahaha keep smiling people.” 

When he was brought into the attack, van Meekeren made an immediate impact with the big wicket of Aiden Markram. Edwards was just ‘proud of the group’ and added that if you want to prove yourself, you have to beat good teams. 

“Proud of the group. We came into the tournament where we wanted to have a chance in the semi finals and if you wanna do that you gotta beat teams and South Africa are one of the favourites the way they are playing, so it is a good win for us.”