Dharamsala: In a shocking result, the Netherlands pulled off a stunning 38-run victory over South Africa in a rain-affected World Cup 2023 match at Tuesday’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. This was the second consecutive World Cup defeat for the Proteas at the hands of the Dutch, who had also beaten them in the T20 World Cup last year.
The match was reduced to 43 overs per side after rain delayed the start. South Africa won the toss and opted to field first, hoping to exploit the overcast conditions. However, they were met with spirited resistance from the Netherlands, who posted a competitive total of 245 for 8.
The Dutch innings was built around a brilliant unbeaten knock of 78 from 69 balls by captain Scott Edwards, who came in at number seven when his team was struggling at 140 for 7. He was well supported by Roelof van der Merwe (29 off 19) and Aryan Dutt (23 off 9), who added some valuable runs in the lower order.
The South African bowlers failed to contain the Dutch onslaught in the death overs, conceding 105 runs in the last 10 overs. Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets each.
Chasing 246 to win, South Africa never got going, losing wickets at regular intervals. None of their top-order batsmen could convert their starts into big scores, as they succumbed to the pressure of the rising run-rate.
Quinton de Kock (20), Temba Bavuma (16), Heinrich Klaasen (28), and David Miller (43) all got out after getting set, leaving too much for the lower order to do. Keshav Maharaj tried to keep the hopes alive with a fighting 40 from 37 balls, but he ran out of partners as South Africa were bowled out for 207 in 42.5 overs.
The Netherlands bowlers were superb in their discipline and execution, as they shared the wickets among themselves. Logan van Beek was the most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 60 runs. Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, and Colin Ackermann took two wickets each.
Scott Edwards was adjudged the player of the match for his match-winning knock. With this win, the Netherlands registered their first points in the tournament, while South Africa suffered their first loss after winning their first two matches.
