Dutch surprise everyone at World Baseball Classic

The Netherlands scored a stunning victory against the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic in Puerto Rico on Saturday.

"This is a game I will not forget as long as I live. It is a great day not just for me but for Dutch baseball," pitcher Leon Boyd said after Saturday's game.

It was Dutchman Boyd who ended the game with a 3-2 victory for the Netherlands by striking out Jose Bautista - and leaving the thousands of Dominican baseball fans in the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan baffled in the process. They had expected to see nothing less than a humiliating Dutch defeat. After all, the Dominican Republic is an established and successful baseball nation - the Netherlands definitely is not.

The Dominican Republic, despite its most notorious national Alex Rodriguez cancelling at the last moment, is supposed to be one of the strongest sides at the annual 16-team tournament played this month. Speaking about the Netherlands, Dominican Republic manager Felipe Alou said: "That was a team we should have trounced 9-0."

But instead, it was the Dutch pitchers Leon Boyd and major league veteran Sidney Ponson - making his debut for the Netherlands at age 32 - who tamed the Dominicans.

The surprise victory was big news in the North-American media. "Netherlands stuns Dominican Republic," both sports channel ESPN and Newsday headlined. "Holy Cow! Dutch shock Dominicans in World Baseball opener," said the Toronto Star. ESPN also called the Dominican loss "embarrassing". However, the historical triumph went all but unnoticed in the Netherlands, where baseball ranks very low on the list of popular sports - football being the pinnacle.

But in the Netherlands Antilles, a group of Caribbean islands that form an autonomous part of the Netherlands, the sport is very popular. Players from the Antilles have slowly paved their way in the Dutch team and on Saturday all nine players in the Dutch line-up had roots in the former Dutch colony.

It wasn't the first success for the relatively unknown Dutch baseball team: the Netherlands won the European Championship in 2007 and beat favourite Cuba in the 2000 Olympics. But Saturday's victory was different. "The win against Cuba was nice but this time we were facing an all-star team. This is great," said pitcher Rob Cordemans.

On Monday, the Netherlands were set to meet host country Puerto Rico. Should the Dutch repeat Saturday's upset, they will automatically qualify for the quarter finals.