England ended their five-match losing streak in the ICC World Cup 2023 on Wednesday. The clash between Eng vs Ned lifted them from the last spot to 7th position.
Ben Stokes played a crucial role by scoring a century, helping England secure a convincing 160-run victory over the Netherlands. This win keeps England’s hopes alive for qualifying in the Champions Trophy.
In their pursuit of the 340-run target, the Netherlands had a slow start and struggled, eventually folding for 179 runs. England’s bowlers, including Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, took key wickets, while David Willey contributed with some important breakthroughs.
Ben Stokes was the star with the bat for England, scoring 108 runs off 84 balls, his first century in a World Cup. Dawid Malan and Chris Woakes also played well, achieving half-centuries. England managed to score 339-9 in 50 overs.
England’s powerplay was impressive, reaching 70-1 quickly. Malan’s aggressive batting and Jos Buttler’s captaincy helped set a strong foundation. However, some mix-ups and wickets slowed them down. Stokes and Woakes’ partnership of 129 runs in the later overs helped England finish strongly.
The Netherlands, currently in 10th place, are still vying for a Champions Trophy spot and will face undefeated India in their next match.
England’s victory lifted them from the bottom to seventh place in the standings, surpassing Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands on net run rate. All teams have one more game to play, and England is aiming for a top-eight finish to secure a place in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.