Catch controversy engulfs Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe cricketer Ryan Burl has apologised after claiming a catch with his foot over the boundary line rope in his side's one-day match with the Netherlands.

Netherlands opener Stephan Myburg had been in punishing touch in the second match in Amsterdam, and had raced to 77 from 70 balls in a 143-run opening stand.

The teams had agreed to take the fielder's word for contentious catches with no third umpires in use for the three-match series that, because the Netherlands has lost their one-day international status, is being played as List A games.

So when Myburg lofted a Graeme Cremer delivery towards long-on, where Burl juggled the ball before throwing it up to himself to safely pouch and claimed a successful catch, the Dutch opener was on his way.

Myburg had already hit 13 fours and one six in his 70-ball knock. His departure stymied the flow of the home side's innings, but from 1-143 in the 23rd over they still made 6-291.

However while storm clouds were brewing overhead that would eventually cause an hour-long rain delay in the run chase, a different storm was brewing around Burl.

Photographs taken by CricketEurope photographer Sander Tholen clearly showed Burl with his feet over the rope, and seemingly with a clear view of his out-of-bounds position before claiming the catch.

Social media lit up with criticism, Netherlands' supporters injustice even more keenly felt as Zimbabwe, aided by a favourable Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculation after the rain delay, cantered to the revised target of 229 in 36 overs.

As images of the incorrectly claimed catch circulated, Burl took to social media to apologise.

"I would like to sincerely apologise again to Stephan who I spoke to after the game, all the Netherlands players and supporters," Burl wrote.

"I have seen the pictures and it clearly shows a six. At the time and speed at which it happened I was unaware whether I had released the ball in time or not.

"I thought at the time that I had caught it fine.

"I then turned around and asked the ball boy and family behind me if it was a clean catch or not to make sure and they said it was clean.

"I would never intentionally claim something that I did not think was out. Apologies again."

Dutch captain Peter Borren accepted the apology.

"Appreciate this. Here is to another good contest tomorrow," he wrote in reply.

Zimbabwe had earlier won the first match by six wickets. The Dutch had crumbled to 8-40 in 14 overs after opting to bat first, before Logan van Beek's unbeaten 64 helped them recover to make 142. That target was chased down in the 31st over by Zimbabwe .