Paul van Meekeren spearheads rout of Bangladesh

Scott Edwards once more dragged his team from the abyss, but it was the bowlers who led the victory charge as the Netherlands held firm in their defence of a middling total of 229 to record an emphatic 87-run win over Bangladesh. The result sees Bangladesh all but eliminated from the semi-final contention, while the Dutch have yet another famous victory to add to their collection – one that, aside from its impact on this tournament, in the grand scheme of cricket as a sport in the Netherlands will be yet another rung on an ever more impressive ladder of growth.

The victory was arguably made sweeter by virtue of it coming in Kolkata, where Bangladesh had support as close to home backing as they are likely to get this World Cup, with the short flight in from Dhaka offering many fans easy access.

But in the end, it would be a journey ending in frustration – many were seen leaving the stadium early – as a well-drilled Dutch outfit trumped their much more experienced counterparts in nearly all facets of the game.