Proteas lose by 38 runs
The Netherlands caused the most significant upset of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at Dharmsala Stadium last night. The Dutch outperformed the South Africans by a margin of 38 runs, primarily due to the exceptional performance of their bowlers. Dutch Skipper Scott Edwards also played a pivotal role with an unbeaten 78 runs towards the end of the Netherlands’ innings, providing the much-needed boost of confidence for their bowlers to feed off and win the game.
The match had a delayed start due to rain, prompting the umpires to reduce the number of overs to 43. Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to field, aware that the pitch favored bowlers and hoped to capitalize on this.
The Dutch team faced early challenges, much to the delight of the South Africans. However, they managed to recover towards the end of their innings, thanks to an impressive stint by their skipper Scott Edwards.
Edwards struck 11 boundaries during his 69-ball innings, orchestrating a remarkable turnaround for the Dutch side. They progressed from a precarious position of 82 for 5 to ultimately reach a total of 245 runs while losing eight wickets by the end of their innings. In the latter part of the innings, it seemed that the South African bowlers had underestimated the Dutch, a miscalculation that would later come back to haunt them.
Motivated by the knowledge that they had a competitive score to defend, the Dutch proceeded with caution but their “Never Say Die” attitude was always prevalent. They were both confident and determined to overcome the South African challenge. Colin Ackerman made the opening breakthrough needed, dismissing Quinton De Kock early after a 36 run opening partnership, a wound that South Africa just could not stop from bleeding.
38-year-old Dutch spinner, Roelf Van Der Merwe, a South African by birth, made an yet another early impact in his first over by sending Temba Bavuma back to the pavilion. This put the South Africans in a tough spot. Aiden Markram and Rassie Van Der Dussen followed their skipper in quick succession, and by the 11th over, South Africa was struggling at 44 for the loss of four wickets.
Paul van Meekren, Logan van Beek, and Bas de Leede continued to trouble the already concerned South African batsmen with precision and composure, executing their plans flawlessly. It became evident that the South Africans were aware of their earlier blunders but found it challenging to recover from the predicament they had created for themselves.
David Miller and Keshav Maharaj tried to hold their ground for as long as possible, contributing significantly, but the Dutch had already secured the match by the latter stages of the run chase. South Africa could only manage to score a total of 207 runs in their 42.5 overs, marking the Netherlands’ first victory of the tournament and dealing South Africa their initial loss.
In summary, the Netherlands orchestrated a remarkable upset by defeating South Africa, thanks to their exceptional bowling and resilient batting. This victory marked a significant moment in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, showcasing the unpredictability and competitiveness of the tournament.
Chief Scores:
Netherlands – 245 for 8 in 43 Overs (Scott Edwards 78*, Roelf van der Merwe 29, Aryan Dutt 23, Marco Jansen 2 for 27, Kagiso Rabada 2 for 56, Lungi Ngidi 2 for 57)
South Africa – 207 for 10 in 42.5 Overs (David Miller 43, Keshav Maharaj 40, Heinrich Klassen 28, Logan van Beek 3 for 60, Roelof van der Merwe 2 for 34, Bas de Leede 2 for 36)
