SA vs NED Review: Orange attack leaves Proteas stunned in another upset
South Africa faced off against Netherlands at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala in the 15th match of the 2023 ODI World Cup and endured a massive upset.
South Africa won the toss and chose to field first. Persistent showers resulted in the game being reduced to a 43-overs-a-side match immediately after the toss. Despite a slightly shaky start, South Africa’s pacers justified their captain’s decision and quickly had the Dutch team struggling at 50/4. Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, and Coetzee all posed significant challenges for the Netherlands’ batters with their diverse skill sets and extra pace on the lively pitch.
When Teja Nidamanuru was joined by Edwards in the middle, the score stood at 82/5. The pair was starting to stabilize the innings before Nidamanuru fell victim to a fierce yorker from Jansen. Logan van Beek also made a start but couldn’t stay long with his captain. Meanwhile, Edwards continued to find boundaries consistently, resulting in a competitive total on the scoreboard for the Dutch team.
Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt also entertained with their cameos. The final nine overs saw an astonishing 104 runs being scored, allowing the Dutch team to finish with a more than respectable total of 243.
The South African team had a disastrous start to their chase. The Proteas lost four wickets for just 44 runs in the 11th over. The Dutch team sensed an upset and maintained their intensity throughout the match. South Africa kept losing wickets at regular intervals and could only manage to score 207 runs.
The Dutch team won the match by 38 runs, creating history as another low-ranked team defeated a title contender in this tournament, following Afghanistan’s victory over England. It is worth mentioning that the Netherlands had also eliminated South Africa from the previous T20 World Cup.
Top Performers of the Match
Scott Edwards (78 of 69)
Scott Edwards was the standout performer with the bat. He scored a match-winning 78 off 69 balls, including ten fours and one six. Despite being in a difficult position when he came to bat, Edwards showed great spirit and fought hard. He received good support from the lower-order batters.
Logan Van Beek (3/60, 8.5 overs)
The best bowler of the match was Logan Van Beek. He showcased some real talent with the ball in his hand and took the three important wickets in the middle overs, including those of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.
What next?
Going ahead, the Netherlands will play against Sri Lanka on October 21. While South Africa will take on England on October 21
