In a thrilling encounter in Dharamsala, Netherlands continued their fairy-tale run by stunning an in-form South African side with a 38-run victory, just days after Afghanistan's shocking win over defending champions England.
Chasing a challenging target of 246 from their allotted 43 overs, South Africa began steadily, with Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma showing promise. However, the determined Dutch bowlers had other plans. Aryan Dutt bowled a maiden in the first over, setting the tone for a fierce contest. De Kock's dismissal after a glove on the sweep marked the beginning of the Proteas' downfall.
The experienced Roelof van der Merwe, a seasoned left-arm spinner, delivered two crucial blows. He dismissed Bavuma with a skidding arm-ball, and Rassie van der Dussen succumbed to a reverse sweep. Meanwhile, Paul van Meekeren provided another setback by removing Aiden Markram.
Scott Edwards, Temba Bavuma reflect on Netherlands’ stunning World Cup heist
With South Africa struggling, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen held the key to the chase. They appeared comfortable in the middle, but the cricketing gods favoured the Netherlands on this occasion. Klaasen fell to a delivery he might have dispatched for a boundary on any other day. His dismissal proved pivotal as South Africa began to lose momentum.
Marco Jansen faced difficulties, and his dismissal added to South Africa's woes. Miller's ill-advised slog across the line proved costly as well. Gerald Coetzee had provided valuable support until then, but Miller's departure signaled the end of South Africa's hopes. Although Keshav Maharaj entertained with a late cameo, it was a convincing victory for the Netherlands.
The Netherlands had their own share of struggles earlier in the day when they were put into bat. They found themselves in dire straits at 50/4 and 82/5 before their skipper, Scott Edwards, turned the tide. Edwards displayed remarkable resolve and skill, especially against Maharaj's spin, employing sweeps effectively. Despite regular wickets, the Dutch skipper stood firm and led his team to a competitive total.
Unforgettable moments from an unforgettable win 😍#CWC23 | #SAvNED pic.twitter.com/mWzQ2TI88w
— ICC (@ICC) October 17, 2023
A pivotal moment came when Edwards joined forces with Roelof van der Merwe, producing a blistering 64-run partnership in just 36 balls. Van der Merwe's aggression surprised the South African bowlers and pushed the scoring rate. A remarkable 104 runs were amassed in the last nine overs, transforming the game completely.
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South Africa vs Netherlands result: Netherlands won by 38 runs
While South Africa had a gettable target, their batters, who had been in excellent form recently, had an off day. It was a roller-coaster victory for the Netherlands, with their fearless approach and resilience propelling them to a memorable win over the in-form South African side by 38 runs.
Match Highlights
- Netherlands skipper played a remarkable knock of 78* from 69 deliveries to lift them from 82/5 to a competitive total of 245/8.
- Roelof van der Merwe and Aryan Dutt played crucial cameos down the order. While Van der Merwe made 29 from 19 deliveries, Dutt scored an unbeaten 23 from just nine balls.
- Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada claimed a couple of wickets each.
- South African openers put on a stand of 36 runs but the Dutch bounced back remarkably, reducing the Proteas to 89/5.
- David Miller and Keshav Maharaj tried their best to take South Africa close to the target with individual contributions of 43 and 40 respectively.
- Logan van Beek was the pick of the Dutch bowlers with figures of 3/60 to his name. Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, and Bas de Leede claimed a couple of wickets each.
2022 ⏩ 2023#CWC23 | #SAvNED pic.twitter.com/T0athsFFFQ
— ICC (@ICC) October 17, 2023
Man of the Match | South Africa vs Netherlands result
Scott Edwards was adjudged the Player of the Match for his defining knock of 78* from 69 deliveries. He lifted Netherlands from a difficult situation and propelled them to a winning position.
South Africa vs Netherlands result final scorecard
Here's the final scorecard of the South Africa vs Netherlands match.
Netherlands 245/8 (43 Overs)
| BATTING | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Vikramjit Singh | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 |
| Max O'Dowd | 18 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 72 |
| Colin Ackermann | 12 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 48 |
| Bas de Leede | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Sybrand Engelbrecht | 19 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 51.35 |
| Teja Nidamanuru | 20 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 80 |
| Scott Edwards (c)† | 78 | 69 | 10 | 1 | 113.04 |
| Logan van Beek | 10 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 37.03 |
| Roelof van der Merwe | 29 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 152.63 |
| Aryan Dutt | 23 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 255.55 |
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
| Lungi Ngidi | 9 | 1 | 57 | 2 | 6.33 | 6 | 1 |
| Marco Jansen | 8 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 3.37 | 6 | 0 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 9 | 1 | 56 | 2 | 6.22 | 3 | 0 |
| Gerald Coetzee | 8 | 0 | 57 | 1 | 7.12 | 2 | 0 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 9 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 4.22 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa 207 All Out (42.5 Overs)
| BATTING | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Temba Bavuma (c) | 16 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 51.61 |
| Quinton de Kock † | 20 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 90.9 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Aiden Markram | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | 28 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 100 |
| David Miller | 43 | 52 | 4 | 1 | 82.69 |
| Marco Jansen | 9 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Gerald Coetzee | 22 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 95.65 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 40 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 108.1 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 150 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 7 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 29.16 |
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
| Aryan Dutt | 5 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 3.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Logan van Beek | 8.5 | 0 | 60 | 3 | 6.79 | 1 | 1 |
| Colin Ackermann | 3 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 5.33 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul van Meekeren | 9 | 0 | 40 | 2 | 4.44 | 0 | 0 |
| Roelof van der Merwe | 9 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 3.77 | 0 | 0 |
| Bas de Leede | 8 | 0 | 36 | 2 | 4.5 | 4 | 0 |
