Netherlands’ Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek set a remarkable milestone in World Cup history during their clash against Sri Lanka on Saturday (October 21) in Lucknow.
Their extraordinary 130-run partnership for the seventh wicket is now the highest ever recorded for that wicket in World Cup matches.
Previously, the record was held by Team India cricketers MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, who put on a formidable 116-run stand during the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand. This partnership had given hope to millions of Indians after the top order struggled in the chase. Unfortunately, the duo fell short, resulting in India’s heart-wrenching 18-run loss and exit from the tournament.
In a strikingly similar turn of events, the Netherlands found themselves in a tough situation, but this time during their batting innings. After choosing to bat first, they slumped to 91/6 in 21.2 overs, facing the imminent threat of an early collapse.
Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek, however, emerged as the saviours, steadying the ship and forging a courageous 130-run partnership for the 7th wicket, ultimately steering their team to a respectable total.
Nonetheless, Sri Lanka’s Sadeera Samarawickrama emerged as the hero with an unbeaten 91, while Dilshan Madushanka and Kasun Rajitha took four wickets each, propelling Sri Lanka to a hard-fought five-wicket victory over the Netherlands.
Chasing a target of 263, Sri Lanka secured the win with five wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare, marking their inaugural success in the ICC World Cup 2023.
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