Netherlands are in prime position to clinch a Super 12 berth from Group A in the ICC T20 World Cup after they defeated Namibia by five wickets with their top order playing a crucial role in the chase of a modest 121\/6 here on Tuesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Following their second successive victory -- the Dutch had beaten UAE by three wickets in their opening Group encounter -- Netherlands have leapt to the top of the group.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It came down to the final over with the Netherlands needing six runs to win, and veteran all-rounder Bas de Leede held his nerve to ensure he did enough to clinch the Player-of-the-Match award by guiding his side home with three balls remaining.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was an excellent team performance from the Dutch, with skipper Scott Edwards rotating his bowlers well to ensure Namibia could manage just 121\/6 in good batting conditions at Kardinia Park.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Netherlands used seven different bowlers to put the brakes on their opponents, with de Leede (2\/18) the chief wrecker and the only bowler to pick up multiple wickets for the winners.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The opening duo Vikramjit Singh (39) and Max O'Dowd (35) got the Netherlands off to a good start and the winning target was always within reach, with de Leede's unbeaten 30 enough to overcome a late wobble.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jan Frylinck (43) may have top-scored for Namibia, but the left-hander consumed plenty of deliveries during the middle overs as the Netherlands' bowlers set the rules.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
David Wiese (11 not out) and JJ Smit (5 not out), two of Namibia's most aggressive batters, could enjoy just a brief time in the middle right at the death of the innings. The duo took 12 from Timm van der Gugten's final over to put a bit of decency in their score, but it proved too little too late as the Netherlands proved too strong.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite the loss, Gerhard Erasmus' Namibia are still in the mix to make it to Super 12 if they can win their final match on Thursday against the UAE.<\/p>\r\n\r\n