The Netherlands pulled off a remarkable upset in the ICC Cricket World Cup by defeating South Africa by 38 runs in a thrilling contest in Dharamshala. This stunning victory marked the second major upset in the tournament, following Afghanistan’s surprise win against England.
Logan van Beek’s impressive three-wicket haul, a crucial half-century by captain Scott Edwards, and an all-round performance by Roelof van der Merwe were the driving forces behind the Netherlands’ triumph.
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South Africa, considered one of the favorites, found themselves in a precarious situation after winning the toss and electing to field. The Netherlands managed to score a competitive total of 245/8 in their allotted 43 overs, thanks to Scott Edwards’ leadership and a quickfire partnership with Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt.
In response, South Africa faced an early setback when Quinton de Kock was dismissed for 20 runs, caught by Scott Edwards off Colin Ackermann’s bowling. The Proteas continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, with Roelof van der Merwe and Paul van Meekeren making key breakthroughs.
Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller led a middle-order recovery, but the Netherlands’ bowlers, led by Logan van Beek, kept the pressure on. Klaasen’s dismissal for 28 further dented South Africa’s hopes of a successful chase.
Miller and Gerald Coetzee tried to resurrect the innings, but they too fell victim to the Netherlands’ disciplined bowling attack. Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, and Paul van Meekeren played crucial roles in restricting the Proteas.
In the end, South Africa was bowled out for 207 runs in 42.5 overs, falling short by 38 runs. Keshav Maharaj was the top scorer for South Africa with a valiant 40 runs.
Logan van Beek was the standout performer for the Netherlands with his three-wicket haul, while Roelof van der Merwe, Bas de Leede, and Paul van Meekeren chipped in with vital contributions.
Earlier in their innings, the Netherlands faced some early setbacks but managed to reach 245/8, thanks to Scott Edwards’ unbeaten 78 and valuable contributions from the lower order. South African bowlers, led by Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada, picked up wickets at regular intervals but couldn’t prevent the Netherlands from posting a competitive total.
This victory propels the Netherlands into the spotlight as they now find themselves at the ninth spot in the tournament standings, with one win and two losses. South Africa, on the other hand, sits at the third spot with two wins and a loss, earning four points.
Should not have let them cross 200 runs, could have controlled extras better: SA skipper Bavuma
After the match, South African skipper Temba Bavuma expressed his disappointment, acknowledging that they could have controlled the extras better and prevented the Dutch team from crossing the 200-run mark.
“We shouldn’t have allowed them to go past 200, especially after having them at 112 for 6. We dropped the ball there but were still confident with the chase. But they were able to extract some deficiencies in our batting,” Bavuma admitted during the post-match presentation.
Bavuma pointed out that the South African team had been clinical in their previous match against Australia and emphasized the need to control extras and improve their fielding standards. He acknowledged that the team would need to have conversations to address these issues.
Despite the disappointing loss, Bavuma remained optimistic about South Africa’s campaign in the World Cup, stating, “Our campaign is not over by any stretch of imagination.” He acknowledged that the Dutch team had put them under pressure throughout the match and commended their performance.
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