Canada batting attack crumbles in 63-run Cricket World Cup League 2 loss to the Dutch

ROTTERDAM — Canada’s batting attack, after a fast start, crumbled in a 63-run loss to the Netherlands in ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 play Saturday.

Dutch pace bowler Paul van Meekeren did most of the damage, taking five wickets in 9.4 overs at the expense of 28 runs. Vivian Kingma took three wickets for 31 runs in seven overs.

Facing a victory target of 221, Canada was 59 for zero behind openers Aaron Johnson and Dilpreet Bajwa before the bottom fell out. Bedazzled by Kingma and van Meekeren, Canada lost six wickets for just 11 runs and was all out for 157 in the 36th over.

Wicketkeeper Shreyas Movva offered some resistance at the end of the Canadian innings, finishing at 47 not out. Movva hit four fours in his 72-ball knock.

“Middle order just didn’t bat today, well apart from Movva,” said newly appointed Canada captain Nicholas Kirton. “He played a pretty good hand.”

“Credit to them, they bowled well,” he added.

After opening League 2 play earlier this year with four straight wins in Dubai — beating Scotland and the host United Arab Emirates twice — the Canadians have lost three in a row, two to the host Netherlands and one to the U.S. in their second tri-nations series.

The Netherlands (5-2-0) moved into top spot in the table, displacing Scotland (4-2-0) with their fourth straight win. Canada (4-3-0) dropped to third.

The top four teams from the eight-country League 2, after play wraps up at the end of 2026, advance to a 10-team World Cup qualifier that will send four sides to the Cricket World Cup. The bottom four League 2 countries have a second bite at the apple via the World Cup Qualifier Playoff.

The field for the 2027 World Cup has been expanded to 14 teams, but 10 of those slots are already spoken for via tournament co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe plus the top eight other full ICC members, as per the one-day rankings.

Canada, which has not made the World Cup since 2011, is ranked 16th in the world in one-day international play and 23rd in the T20 game.

Johnson slammed six fours and one six in his 28-ball knock before being caught off a Kingma delivery to start the Canadian slide. Noah Croes made a highlight reel catch to dismiss Pargat Singh, flying through the air at second slip to snag the ball with one hand, for five runs, on five runs.

After opener Dilpreet Bajwa exited on 20 runs with Canada at 66 for three, Singh, Kirton (zero), Harsh Thaker (zero) and Ravinderpal Singh (one) came and went.

Saad Bin Zafar followed, dismissed for 12 lbw (leg before wicket) with Canada at 94 for seven.

Movva and Dilon Heyliger, the No. 6 and 9 batsmen, steadied the ship until Heyliger exited lbw on 14 with Canada at 121 for eight.

Kaleem Sana then was caught on four and the Canada inning ended with Junaid Siddiqui out lbw on five.

After Canada won the toss and elected to field, the 14th-ranked Dutch were all out for 220 in 47.2 overs. Captain Sean Edwards led the home side’s attack with 72 runs off 94 balls.

Sana was the pick of the Canada bowlers, taking four wickets at the expense of 30 runs in 7.3 overs.

Canada is playing under a new captain, with Zafar giving way to Kirton, and without a head coach after Pubudu Dassanayake’s contract was not renewed when it expired at the end of July. Assistant coach Khurram Chohan is in charge until a new head coach is appointed.

The Canadians face the Americans (1-1-0) on Monday, also in Rotterdam.

The Canadian men had little time to prepare for the transition to the 50-over League 2 games, leaving behind the shorter, more explosive 20-over format of the Global T20 tournament in Brampton, Ont.

Canada is slated to play T20 games against both the Dutch and Americans immediately after the upcoming 50-over games. Canada then hosts a League 2 tri-nations series with Oman and Nepal in September in Toronto.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2024

The Canadian Press