Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh):South African-born Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek led an exceptional recovery with maiden half-centuries to help the Netherlands post a respectable total of 262 against Sri Lanka in the league stage fixture of the World Cup here on Saturday.
The 35-year-old Sybrand Engelbrecht, who played a gritty inning of 70 off 82 balls had retired from all forms of cricket for South Africa after playing for Cape Cobras in 2016 before qualifying to play for Netherlands. It was thehighest partnership for seventh wicket or below in World Cups. They broke the record held by Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani, who had added 126 runs not out for the seventh wicket against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells in the 1918 World Cup.
Engelbrecht, who came in at No seven, hit a six and four fours in his knock and shared a 130-run partnership with Van Beek, who also secured a maiden fifty (59 off 75 balls) as they turned the tide for the Dutch after they were reeling at 91 for six in the 22nd over.
Kasun Rajitha, who made a comeback in playing eleven after getting dropped, and fellow teammate in-form left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka picked four-fors, were the pick of Lankan bowlers but they lacked support from Sri Lankan spinners. In the 2008 U-19 triumph between India vs South Africa, Engelbrecht, who was playing in Proteas colors took a flying catch to dismiss Virat Kohli.