Scotland saw their World Cup dreams go up in smoke as they lost by four wickets to Netherlands to miss out on qualification on net run-rate.
A win or defeat by a smaller margin would have seen the Saltires qualify for October’s tournament in India.
Having been put in to bat in Bulawayo the Scots failed to capitalise on a position of dominance to only amass 277-9 from their 50 overs.
For Netherlands to overhaul them and qualify on net run-rate they had to chase down the total in 44 overs, which they managed with seven balls to spare.
Some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding and ill-disciplined bowling cost Scotland dear.
After the defeat it was left to Alasdair Evans, who has been limited to only one appearance in the qualifying tournament, to sum up the mood of the squad.
The articulate fast bowler said: “In the immediate aftermath the feeling is that we didn’t play our best brand of cricket for long enough during the game.
“There were periods with bat and ball where we were on top and had momentum, but we didn’t hold on to that momentum for long enough.
“The discipline we’ve had for the most part of the tournament let us down at key points.
“It was a really difficult atmosphere (in the changing room). There was a lot of anger, frustration and disappointment.
“It’s difficult to be in that position and it’s why sport is so cruel, looking across the tournament we’ve played some outstanding cricket.
“To come so close and have it within our grasp and let it slip is difficult.”
Missed chances
With the bat the Scots got off to a disappointing start with Matthew Cross bowled fourth ball for a duck by Logan van Beek.
Brandon McMullen and Chris McBride rebuilt before the latter pulled Bas de Leede to at mid-wicket to depart for 32.
When George Munsey gloved de Leede behind for nine the Scots were 64-3.
But McMullen improved the situation and went on to be the star of the innings making 106 – his second One-Day International century – which contained 11 fours and three sixes.
Captain Richie Berrington played an important supporting hand as they shared a partnership of 137, which ended when Ryan Klein had McMullen caught behind.
Klein soon dismissed Michael Leask, bowled for one when trying to attack.
Then Berrington’s resistance came to an end, bowled by de Leede for a fine 64.
However it meant from being in a position to push towards 300 Scotland had been pulled back to 234-6.
Chris Greaves and Tom Mackintosh added 30 before the excellent de Leede, who finished with 5-52, bowled Greaves (18) and caught and bowled Mark Watt in successive balls.
Mackintosh finished with a very useful 38 not out and Safyaan Sharif was run out off the last ball.
De Leede guides Dutch home
With the ball Scotland were loose with opening bowlers McMullen and Sole allowing Dutch batters Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd to make a flying start.
Leask managed to interrupt their flow by having both trapped lbw.
Then McMullen snared Wesley Barresi for 11 and when Greaves removed Teja Nidamanuru for 10 to make the score 108-4 in the 24th over the pendulum seemed to be swinging Scotland’s way.
But de Leede and Scott Edwards added a swift 55 for the fifth wicket before the latter was trapped by Watt for a useful 25.
De Leede and Saqib Zulfiqar worked to keep Netherlands in contention but after 40 overs they still needed 45 in the next four overs to deny Scotland.
In the 41st over they went to town on Watt’s bowling, de Leede hammered two sixes to bring up his century and Zulfiqar also cleared the rope as they took 22 from the over.
There was similar punishment for McMullen in the next as he shipped 20 runs to put Netherlands on the brink.
Sharif ran out de Leede in the 43rd over, but the damage was done.
De Leede made a sublime 123 from 92 balls, which featured seven fours and five sixes, and became just the fourth player in history to take five wickets and make a century in an ODI.