The Netherlands pulled off a stunning 19-run victory over the USA, overturning what seemed like a certain loss just 20 minutes before the final wicket fell. Chasing a target of 238 on a flat pitch, the USA appeared to be in control, needing only 28 runs from 37 balls with five wickets in hand. However, a sudden collapse followed the dismissal of Milind Kumar, who had anchored the innings with a gritty 69 off 79 balls. The turning point came when Milind misjudged a flick off a seemingly harmless delivery, leading to a disastrous sequence for the USA. The lower order then crumbled, managing just eight runs from the next 35 deliveries without showing much fight or intent.
While it would be unfair to solely blame the lower order for the defeat, the Netherlands' bowlers highlighted the US's lack of game awareness in the latter stages. Milind and Shadley Van Schalkwyk had put together a 68-run partnership from 83 balls for the sixth wicket, with Milind contributing 46 off 44 and Shadley adding a cautious 19 off 39. However, after Milind's departure, Shadley, a 36-year-old fast-bowling all-rounder, failed to take on the role of aggressor, scoring just two runs from his next 10 balls. The rest of the lower order—Noshthush Kenjige, Jasdeep Singh, and Harmeet Singh—suffered similar fates.
Vivian Kingma set the tone early in the USA’s chase, dismissing Steven Taylor with the second ball of the innings and removing key batsman Monank Patel three deliveries later with a ball that straightened just enough to induce an edge. Smit Patel and Aaron Jones then counterattacked, hitting a series of boundaries that put the Dutch bowlers on the back foot for over an hour. However, Smit's aggression was cut short by leg-spinner Shiraz Ahmed, who trapped him lbw with a well-disguised googly after Smit had hammered his first delivery for a pull shot. Ahmed later dismissed Jones, who fell just three runs short of a half-century, with another googly that he meekly chipped to mid-wicket. Shayan Jahangir showed promise with a brisk 20 off 24 balls but gave away his wicket with a soft return catch to Aryan Dutt. At 142 for 4 in the 31st over, Milind and Shadley seemed to steer the USA towards victory, but the lower order’s collapse left them short.
Earlier, USA debutant Juanoy Drysdale made an immediate impact, taking his first international wicket with his eighth delivery by knocking over Michael Levitt's leg stump. However, Drysdale quickly experienced the ups and downs of international cricket, as Vikramjit Singh punished him with a trio of square drives to the boundary. Max O'Dowd initially played second fiddle to Vikramjit during the PowerPlay but unleashed a flurry of boundaries in the 11th over, first off Taylor and later off Shadley. After a brief lull, O'Dowd resumed his attack, particularly targeting the leg side, but Taylor eventually bowled him one run short of a half-century.
The Netherlands' innings wobbled as Milind's introduction led to a cluster of wickets. Vikramjit, after reaching his fifty, was run out attempting a risky single. Milind then trapped veteran Wesley Baressi lbw, and minutes later, Noah Croes was run out following a mix-up with captain Scott Edwards, resulting in three wickets falling in just six balls. Edwards, however, stabilised the innings with Shariz Ahmed. While Edwards maintained an aggressive approach, Ahmed focused on holding his end. Edwards' brisk 65 off 55 balls, followed by Logan van Beek’s finishing touches, helped the Netherlands reach a competitive 237 in their 50 overs—a total that ultimately proved sufficient to maintain their unbeaten record against the USA across all formats.