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Occasionally, numerical data is all that is necessary. Glenn Maxwell achieved the quickest century in a World Cup, achieving it in 40 balls. He joined the game in the 40th over and in all List A cricket, it was the latest start for a batsman to score a hundred. It took him nine balls within that period to finally face the bowler.

In the cricket match, it took the player 27 balls to score 50 runs and then 13 more balls to score 100 runs. The final set of 13 balls included two dot balls and three single runs. In total, there were nine overs bowled from when Maxwell faced his first ball until he was caught for 106 runs. Australia went from slowly approaching 300 runs to scoring 399 runs and ultimately winning by 309 runs. The game was truly remarkable in every way.

At times, numerical values are unable to convey certain information. They do not reveal that at that particular moment, Australia seemed to be following a pattern of losing momentum after a promising beginning. They also do not mention that Maxwell was dismissed on the first ball in his last game, selflessly sacrificing his own scoring efforts after being promoted.

They fail to inform you of a set of perfectly timed plays, where a player has boundary riders positioned around the leg side and strategically chooses the open space near deep third. Maxwell did not execute his usual switch hits, where he changes his grip on the bat and stands as a left-handed player. Instead, he simply rotated the bat handle so that the blade faced the opposite direction, allowing him to hit reverse shots that caught up with the ball as it passed by.

Did Bas de Leede get a full delivery at the stumps? He hit a six while on his knees from ground level. Did Logan van Beek also receive a full delivery that was hiding outside off stump? He also hit a six. Will a bouncer be used to change things up? De Leede used the same stance and hit a reverse hook shot for another six. He is skilled at both regular shots, hitting sixes over the leg side, and driving over point. Unfortunately, in his last two overs, De Leede gave up 43 runs, bringing his 10 overs to a record-breaking two for 115. Later, he was out lbw for four runs.

Instead of dismissing the Netherlands cricket team and questioning its existence, take a moment to consider their potential. However, one thing is certain – the current World Cup structure was intentionally created to exclude teams like the Dutch. Not only the Netherlands, but also other emerging teams such as Scotland, Nepal, Namibia, Hong Kong, and several others who could progress faster with proper backing.

At first, it was believed that expanding the one-day cricket tournament was a positive decision. In 1975, a combined team from East Africa participated, followed by Canada in 1979. In 1983, Zimbabwe joined and surprisingly defeated Australia. Sri Lanka, who were considered weak players in the 1980s, ended up winning the entire tournament in 1996. While many questioned the inclusion of expansion teams and they faced heavy losses, the unexpected victories supported their presence. Bangladesh made their debut in 1999 and defeated Pakistan. Kenya even made it to the semi-finals in 2003.

In 2007, a pivotal moment occurred in the structure of football-style groups, with each group consisting of four teams and three games per team. In this format, two teams would advance and even one unexpected loss could eliminate a strong contender. Surprisingly, Bangladesh and Ireland defeated India and Pakistan, respectively, resulting in a significant loss of viewers and causing concern for networks and advertisers. This served as a clear warning to the ICC to never repeat this scenario. It was no longer acceptable to eliminate smaller teams based solely on their lack of success; instead, it was their success that would lead to their elimination from the Cup.

In 2019, there were a total of ten teams participating. The goal was straightforward: the top eight teams would automatically qualify, with the expectation that they would be India, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and New Zealand. The remaining two spots were open to the less profitable Full Member nations – Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland – as well as some lower-ranked countries who were expected to lose to the wealthier teams.

The Netherlands conquered the challenging course set before them, navigating through obstacles and surpassing expectations. The ICC did not foresee Afghanistan and Bangladesh surpassing traditional powerhouses West Indies and Sri Lanka to secure top eight spots, causing a shift in rankings. The Dutch team also surpassed Ireland and Zimbabwe, along with Scotland, who seemed on track for the final World Cup spot. However, the Dutch achieved a high run rate and overtook Scotland in the standings. On this day, player De Leede stood out with five wickets and a century.

Their performance was impressive. In their initial victory of the tournament, they stood out by bowling South Africa out for 207, despite South Africa’s high scores of 428, 311, 399, and 382 against other teams. However, it is not possible to defeat strong opponents every day. The team consisted of players from the Dutch league, South African domestic cricket, and English county system, who could potentially earn more money in retail, facing off against players who are paid a million dollars per year by Cricket Australia to hone their skills.

In Delhi on Wednesday, they experienced a dominating performance from Maxwell. This is his third World Cup appearance, with 21 innings and 656 runs at a strike rate of 162.37. This is the fastest scoring seen in any World Cup career with more than four innings or 74 runs. The previous record holder with more runs is Brendon McCullum, known for his aggressive batting style, but even he had a comparatively slower strike rate of 120.84. Maxwell’s career has been exceptional and unmatched by anyone else. This recent match showcased his abilities at their most explosive and intense.

Source: theguardian.com