Where to from here? Assessing Sri Lanka, Netherlands’ chances at India 2023

One nervy Super Six encounter against the Dutch aside, Sri Lanka were fairly comfortable qualifiers, and could potentially mount a semi-final case for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India later in the year.

Similarly, the Dutch have shown their mettle, battle-hardened from Cricket World Cup Super League cricket, with the potential to overturn some of the game’s best come October and November.

With the two teams fresh off Qualifier success, we take a look at how the pair look ahead of the Cricket World Cup.

The bowling has shown enough to suggest the 1996 World Cup champions can mix it with the best teams in 2023, though it would be fair to argue the quality from Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and the pace attack largely masqueraded some of the frailties on the batting side of things at the Qualifier.

Runs were piled in early group stage action, though cracks appeared as the tournament played out and as tournament pressure heightened. Scores of 245 against Scotland and 213 against the Dutch left a lot to be desired, and the team profited from the bowlers’ work, chasing down modest targets in wins over Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

Dasun Shanaka may feel partly responsible having made just 12 runs across five innings, though outside of Pathum Nissanka (417 runs at 69.50) and Dimuth Karunaratne (369 runs at 61.50), the bulk of the batting order will feel they have more to give in India.

While Sri Lanka’s batters should enjoy Indian conditions, it will likely be their bowlers that keep their side in the hunt.

Star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga led the tournament wicket tally (22 at 12.90), and has urged the side to continue their form into the tournament.

“I want to take this momentum into the World Cup in India," he said.

"Our bowlers have played a lot of games in India in the last two years, and we know how the wickets behave. This Qualifier tournament has helped us a lot.

"I think the confidence we have grown and shown in this tournament we can take into a World Cup with us."

Sri Lanka begin their Cricket World Cup campaign on 7 October against South Africa, who edged the Sri Lankans and the West Indies to automatic qualification via the Super League.

Sri Lanka Fixtures - Cricket World Cup
7 October – South Africa v Sri Lanka, Delhi – 2pm (local time)
12 October – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Hyderabad – 2pm
16 October – Australia v Sri Lanka, Lucknow – 2pm
21 October – Netherlands v Sri Lanka, Lucknow – 10.30am
26 October – England v Sri Lanka, Bengaluru – 2pm
30 October – Afghanistan v Sri Lanka, Pune – 2pm
2 November – India v Sri Lanka, Mumbai – 2pm
6 November – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Dehli – 2pm
9 November – New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Bengaluru - 2pm

The Dutch have multiple ingredients few Associate sides on the World Cup stage have previously had at their disposal: depth in their playing group, and firepower with the bat.

This has been a consequence of the players needed to compete through the Super League campaign, as other fulfilled County Cricket commitments. First through the work of previous coach Ryan Campbell and now Ryan Cook, the side have no fewer than 20 players that could make the squad list come late September.

In the Associate game, the widely-held view is that bowling dominates the bat through two effects: the state of wickets not being as conducive to big totals, but more importantly, the less match practice compared to their Full Member counterparts affects batting more than it does bowling. Bowling is somewhat a repeatable as a routine, while batting by contrast is a set of building blocks hard to simulate in the nets or even in centre-wicket practice.

Through the Super League campaign and a full calendar of cricket, the batting has bolstered. Vikram Singh and Max O'Dowd continue to build as an opening pair, showcasing their wares with two century partnerships, as well as stands of 86 and 76 during the Qualifier.

Runs from Wesley Barresi and Teja Nidamanuru's in the middle pushed the cause, while the all-round talents of Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede proved invaluable.

As van Beek stepped up with the new ball and in clutch situations with the bat, most notably the Super Over stunning of the West Indies, de Leede built into his tournament having raced from Durham duty. He finished with 282 runs at 47.50 taking 15 wickets at 22.13 to push his case for Player of the Tournament honours, and his individual performance in the Qualification decider showed the 23-year-old could again deliver at a global tournament later, like he did at the T20 World Cup last year in Australia.

He became just the fifth player to score a century (123) and take a five-wicket haul (5/52) in the same ODI as the Dutch coasted past Scotland's target to claim the spot on net run rate, joining Viv Richards, Paul Collingwood, Rohan Mustafa and New Zealand woman Amelia Kerr in the exclusive club.

The leadership and batting form of Scott Edwards too can never be overstated. Not only were his bowling changes and wicketkeeping world class, the gloveman has also stepped up with the bat after taking over from previous skipper Pieter Seelaar.

When not the Dutch captain in ODI cricket, Edwards has made 550 runs at just 34.37 with a strike rate 80.40. Since filling Seelaar’s shoes, the 26-year-old has made 662 runs at 47.28 with a strike rate of 106.26.

Questions of squad composition will come in terms of the bulk of players available after the UK summer, particularly on the bowling side, though Edwards feels the Dutch are well-positioned for a tournament.

"Our bowlers have done the job, our batters have been really good throughout the tournament. Guys stepped up when they had to and that is why we are going to India," Edwards said.

“It is massive for the guys, for our supporters back home, and for Dutch cricket in general. The opportunity to play in a 10-team World Cup, it is massive for us. We will lap it up and hopefully put in some good performances there.”

The Netherlands Fixtures - Cricket World Cup6 October – Netherlands v Pakistan, Hyderabad – 2pm
9 October – New Zealand v Netherlands, Hyderabad – 2pm
17 October – Netherlands v South Africa, Dharamshala - 2pm
21 October – Netherlands v Sri Lanka, Lucknow - 10.30am
25 October – Australia v Netherlands, Delhi – 2pm
28 October – Bangladesh v Netherlands, Kolkata – 2pm
3 November – Afghanistan v Netherlands, Lucknow – 2pm
8 November – England v Netherlands, Pune – 2pm
11 November – India v Netherlands, Bengaluru, 2pm