The Netherlands will square off against Afghanistan in a crucial World Cup match at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday. This will be the final game at the venue for the tournament.
The Netherlands have punched above their weight in this World Cup despite sitting second from bottom. They scored a massive upset beating South Africa and also defeated Bangladesh. Afghanistan too have exceeded expectations, notching wins over Sri Lanka, England and Pakistan.
These two teams have a contrasting style of play. Afghanistan rely on their world class spin bowling trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi. The Netherlands will look to counter that with aggressive batting from Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards.
With both teams still in contention for a semi-final spot, this match will be hard-fought. Afghanistan will be slight favorites given their spin bowling depth and experience. But the Dutch are capable of pulling off another upset.
Bet on Netherlands at odds 3.45 at Mostbet>> (Use Mostbet promo code MOSTBANG for an exclusive offer.)
Bet on Afghanistan at odds 1.35 at BetWinner>> (Use BetWinner promo code BANGVIP for an exclusive offer.)
Netherlands Overview
The Netherlands qualified for this World Cup via the ODI Super League and have given a good account of themselves. The batting has revolved around opener Max O’Dowd who has two fifties. Scott Edwards, Colin Ackermann and Tom Cooper have chipped in too.
In the bowling department, veteran seamer Paul van Meekeren has taken seven wickets with his clever changes of pace. The spin duo of Colin Ackerman and Aryan Dutt have contained runs in the middle overs.
The Dutch will need to play Afghanistan’s spinners with caution and look to score against the pacers. Their batsmen must curb their natural aggressive instincts. Bowling in partnerships will be key for the Netherlands on the turning Lucknow pitch.
With wins over South Africa and Bangladesh, the Netherlands have shown they are no pushovers. Playing freely with nothing to lose could help them cause another upset.
Afghanistan Overview
Defying expectations, Afghanistan has been one of the success stories of this World Cup. A win over Pakistan was sandwiched between victories against Sri Lanka and England. Their talisman Rashid Khan is the leading Afghan wicket-taker with 7 scalps including a best of 3/37.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been their second leading run-scorer providing quick starts at the top. Other batsmen like Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran and Hashmatullah Shahidi have chipped in too.
Afghanistan’s bowling attack featuring Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi has bamboozled the best batting lineups. Their variety and control has been top-notch. The pacers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq provide good support too.
If their spinners fire again, Afghanistan will be confident of another crucial win over the Netherlands. But they can’t afford to be complacent against an unpredictable Dutch side.
Netherlands vs. Afghanistan Starting XI
Expected Starting XI for Afghanistan:
- Vikramjit Singh
- Max ODowd
- Wesley Barresi
- Colin Ackermann
- Scott Edwards (c & wk)
- Bas de Leede
- Sybrand Engelbrecht
- Logan van Beek
- Shariz Ahmad
- Aryan Dutt
- Paul van Meekeren
Expected Starting XI for Afghanistan:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Rahmat Shah
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Ikram Alikhil
- Mohammad Nabi
- Rashid Khan
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Naveen-ul-Haq
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
The Netherlands should retain the same combination that upset Bangladesh. Afghanistan are unlikely to tinker with their winning XI either. Key all-rounders Bas de Leede and Mohammad Nabi will have crucial roles to play for their respective teams.
See the confirmed starting lineups below an hour before the match starts.
Netherlands vs. Afghanistan Head-to-Head
Afghanistan have historically dominated the Netherlands in ODI cricket. The two teams have met nine times in the 50-over format with Afghanistan winning seven times compared to the Dutch’s two victories. In World Cup history this is going to be their first meeting.
However, the Netherlands’ stunning wins over South Africa and Bangladesh this tournament show they are improving. The Netherlands also lost a recent ODI series 3-0 away in Qatar back in August 2022.
So while Afghanistan have the overall edge historically, the Dutch showed in their recent series they have the talent to compete. The Netherlands will take confidence from restricting Afghanistan’s vaunted batting lineup to just 222 runs in their first ODI matchup of the last series.
This World Cup match promises to be a thrilling clash between two well-matched teams. Afghanistan have greater experience but the Netherlands are an unpredictable side capable of upsets.
Weather & Pitch Report
The Ekana Stadium in Lucknow will host its last World Cup match when Netherlands face Afghanistan. The weather is expected to be hot and dry with temperatures around 29 to 31 degrees Celcius. Humidity will be around 56% and no rain is forecast.
The pitch in Lucknow has historically favored spin bowling. It tends to be on the slower side which allows spinners to grip the surface and get sharp turn. The faster bowlers also come into play later with the old ball as batting becomes trickier.
In the four World Cup matches at this ground so far, the average first innings score is a modest 252. No team has managed to cross 263 except South Africa (Scored 311 runs) here with spin dominating in the middle overs.
Batting first after winning the toss will be crucial. With the pitch likely to slow down, expect around 240-250 to be a par score. Dew shouldn’t play a major factor in the second innings.
Overall, a lower-scoring thriller dominated by spin looks likely on the cards for this matchup.
Netherlands vs. Afghanistan Prediction
Based on recent form and familiarity with the conditions, Afghanistan deserve to be rated as favorites for this crucial contest. Their world-class trio of spinners Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammed Nabi will relish bowling on the dry, turning Lucknow surface.
The Netherlands batsmen will have to muster all their concentration and skill to counter Afghanistan’s spinners. Their own spin bowlers like Colin Ackerman, Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt must step up too.
If the Dutch bat first, putting up a competitive total around 230-240 will be enough to put Afghanistan under pressure. But based on the venue’s recent scores, even that might be a tall ask against quality spin.
For Afghanistan, their spinners hitting consistent lines and lengths should be enough to restrict the Netherlands. With their batting led by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hashmatullah Shahidi also in decent form, Afghanistan will be confident of chasing anything under 240 here.
Expect Afghanistan to maintain their dominance over the Netherlands and stay alive at the World Cup.
Netherlands vs. Afghanistan Betting Tip
With Afghanistan favored, betting on them to win the match is advisable. A safer option is to place a bet on them winning with a bonus on restricting the Netherlands to under 200 runs. Given the spin-friendly conditions, Rashid Khan should be backed to take the most wickets. Mujeeb Ur Rahman is also a strong differential choice.
For top batters, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hashmatullah Shahidi have the technique to thrive against spin. Max O’Dowd has the talent to counter Afghanistan’s bowlers and is worth backing. With scoring likely to be on the lower side, betting on the first innings score under 230 or the total under 400 runs is recommended. The toss will be crucial so wagering on the team that bats first can also be considered.
Betting on individual score milestones is risky on this surface. But Afghanistan’s batsmen appear the safer choices to cross 50+ runs individually if you do bet on milestones. Overall, Afghanistan’s toss success, spin depth and batting lineup make them favorites to win a potentially low-scoring contest against a gritty Dutch side.
Bet on over 16.5 total wickets at Parimatch at odds 1.85>>
If you want to check out our other Cricket World Cup match predictions, you can find them on our site. In the meantime, you can check out how to bet on the Cricket World Cup.
