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Could the Flames finally build a substantial partnership? Yes. De Leede and Campher added 36 for the third wicket, taking Amsterdam towards the hundred mark. But Roelof van der Merwe changed the mood in the ninth over. He removed Campher for 17 off 20, then trapped Tim David for just one in the same over. Suddenly, Amsterdam had slipped from 77/2 to 79/4. De Leede, however, remained the constant. He brought up his fifty from 41 balls, keeping the innings together while wickets fell around him. Amsterdam crossed 100 in 12.5 overs, but the run rate needed another push.

Let's rewind a bit...

So, how did Amsterdam's innings begin? Not exactly quietly. The Flames raced to 56/2 in the Powerplay, despite losing both openers. Yuvraj Samra fell for five to Logan van Beek in the second over, before David Wiese removed Max O'Dowd for a brisk 25 off 15. O'Dowd had already struck four boundaries. Amsterdam reached 50 in 5.2 overs, showing that the early wickets had not completely stalled them. Bas de Leede and Curtis Campher then had the job of rebuilding. A review against de Leede in the third over came back unsuccessful. Rotterdam had chances. Amsterdam kept moving.

10:03 PM IST, 6:33 PM Local Time: The game is not won by the team that starts stronger, but by the one that stays standing when the pressure peaks. Rotterdam Dockers proved exactly that in this opening encounter of ETPL. Amsterdam Flames posted a competitive 157/8, with Bas de Leede's superb 75 keeping them alive after an uneven start. Rotterdam then stumbled to 22/3 inside four overs, but Faf du Plessis refused to let the chase unravel. His unbeaten 83 off 55 anchored the recovery, while Ben Manenti and David Wiese supplied the acceleration. The Dockers eventually reached 158/5 in 18.1 overs, winning by five wickets with 11 balls to spare. A comeback with a very Dutch finish.

Scott Edwards (Amsterdam Flames Captain): "[Not enough runs on the surface] No, it was a decent wicket. I think it was a bit skiddy so it was tough to get in but I thought if we'd set ourselves for that 170-180 score, but we kept losing wickets at wrong times. 

[On Bas de Leede] He did, yeah. It was a class innings. [On his team's bowling] Yeah, we knew that we need to get early wickets. Unfortunately, we leaked a few towards the end of powerplay there. And then once the run rate get to those 6-7s, you have to try and keep fielders up and when that happens, theres chance for leaking boundaries. 

[On Faf du Plessis] Yeah, it was a good knock. Under pressure, they were three down but he showed his experience and took the game away."

Faf du Plessis (Rotterdam Dockers Captain & POTM): "[On his team's performance] Yeah, look. I mean at a ground where we don't have too much information, you're almost like finding out what to do when you are out there. So, winning the toss and bowling first. I thought it came on nicely. We bowled well after the powerplay to bring it back. Anything under 160 was great. 

[On losing early wickets] A bit of trouble. You don't want to see yourself three down inside the powerplay. On a wicket like that, you have to try and look to score. Off a length, there was a bit of nibble and a bit slow, felt a bit tough to score. You just needed to put some pressure on the opposition. Once the powerplay was done, it was about running those twos and threes and testing the fitness. 

[On his fielding] I love fielding and really pride myself in holding high standards. It's a great opportunity, this league, the start of something great."

What does the final picture tell us? Amsterdam had de Leede's 75 and a useful 157/8, but Rotterdam's bowling attack kept them from turning that into a bigger total. Then came the collapse at 22/3. Yet Faf du Plessis turned the match around with calmness first and aggression later. The Flames had the perfect start to the chase. The Dockers simply refused to let it stay that way. Sometimes, in T20 cricket, three wickets are a warning. Sometimes, they are just the beginning of a comeback.

And with that, the Dockers sail home with the first win of ETPL. There are two games scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, 27th August. Do join us at 2 PM IST, 10:30 AM Local Time.

Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Ajay Pal Singh, and scorer Paras Yadav. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!