‘I expected them to do the job' - Shai Hope questions bowlers after shock super-over defeat against Netherlands

The 18th game of the ODI World Cup Qualifiers proved to be quite a spectacle as the Netherlands defeated the West Indies by a whopping 22 runs in the Super Over to move up to second place in their group standings with six points to their name.

Coming in to bat first, the West Indies put in a sensational effort. Through the valiant knocks of Brandon King, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, and a masterful ton by Nicholas Pooran, who amassed 104* runs in 65 deliveries, the West Indies notched up 374 runs on the board and looked to be cruising towards a win.

However, the Netherlands were evenly matched with them in the second innings as a ton by Teja Nidamanuru helped the side tie the score and take the game into the super over, where Logan Van Beek’s blitzkrieg helped the Netherlands score 30 runs in just six balls. In response, the West Indies were just able to score eight runs as they lost the tie in a heartbreaking fashion.

After the game, West Indies’ skipper Shai Hope came forward to question his bowlers and opined that the whole team let itself down and that there are no excuses for the loss.

"We just let ourselves down. I can't see us scoring 375 and losing. Honestly, I thought it was enough. I expected the bowlers to do the job. Just unfortunate we lost. The picture is right in front of us now. We need to do better," Shai Hope was quoted as saying by IndiaToday. 

Still soaking it in: Netherlands captain Scott Edwards

On the other side of the spectrum, Netherlands’ skipper Scott Edwards could not believe what he had just witnessed. He opined that the team was still soaking up the win and that their belief helped them register a brilliant win.

"Still soaking it in. Can't play a better individual game of cricket. They batted sensationally. We bowled well in patches. We thought we conceded 60 more. We had the belief though. That innings from Teja and van Beek was special," Edwards said. 

"We pride ourselves on our running. You hit gaps and run hard. Logan was in a bit of a trance. I don't think he was listening to me. He was hitting everything for fours and sixes. This was going to be a massive game for us. To go in with two points is good," he added.