SCO vs NED | Michael Levitt spurs Netherlands to the top of the table with clinical win over Scotland

‌Netherlands rose to the top of the points table with a clinical 17-run win over Scotland in the fourth match of the T20 Tri-Series 2025 at Titwood in Glasgow on Wednesday. Opener Michael Levitt hit five sixes and six fours to top-score in the match with a 57-ball 90 powering the Dutch to 198/7 before off-spinner Teja Nidamanuru and left-arm spinner Reolof van der Merwe registered spells of 3/30 and 2/44, respectively to restrict the Scotland chase to 181/9.

Put into bat first, the Netherlands opening pair of Levitt and Max O’Dowd started positively with a partnership of 33 off 23 balls before O’Dowd departed, after hitting five fours, for a 10-ball 21. From there, Levitt took over smashing two sixes and a four off Brandon McMullen as the side finished the powerplay strongly at 61/2. Levitt continued the surge with captain Scott Edwards as the former reached his fifty in the 10th over, in 33 balls, as the Dutch were five runs short of the 100-run mark at the halfway stage. Levitt and Edwards scored three sixes in two overs from the spin duo of Mark Watt and Chris Greaves before the Netherlands skipper was dismissed against the run of play in the 13th over. Edwards’ wicket triggered a collapse as the side slipped from 128/2 to 162/6 in the 17th over with Levitt doing the bulk of the scoring during the period. However, pacer Ryan Klein’s late innings flourish ensured that Netherlands ended on a high with 35 runs coming in the last three overs. Klein smashed two sixes and a four to remain unbeaten on 21 off nine balls while Jasper Davidson and Charlie Cassell finished with two wickets for Scotland.

In reply, opener George Munsey and McMullen steadied the ship after the early fall of Mark Watt, in the third over, before going big against medium pacer Vikramjit Singh in the last over of the powerplay. McMullen scored four boundaries while Munsey hit a six to plunder 25 runs as the hosts ended at 48/1 after six overs. Despite losing partners regularly, McMullen continued his surge as he welcomed veteran left-arm spinner van der Merwe into the attack with a 15-run over. With 104 runs required in the last nine overs, McMullen got to his fifty in 26 balls before departing the very next ball for a well-made 51, which included eight fours and a six. However, Michael Leask came up with some lusty blows towards the end to keep the home side in the chase. With a six off the third ball he faced, Leask made his intentions clear and went on to smash two more sixes in the next two overs. With two more sixes off left-arm spinner Daniel Doram, the Scotland all-rounder brought the target down to 57 runs in the last five overs. But with wickets falling in every over from 17 to 20, Scotland could not go past the 199-run target and ended 17 runs short. Leask’s 23-ball 46, which included five sixes and a four, went in vain as the Netherlands' spin quartet of Aryan Dutt, Doram, Nidamanuru and van der Merwe accounted for all the Scotland wickets. With their second consecutive win, the Netherlands now have four points from two wins and a loss in three matches.