ICC MEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP INDIA 2023
DHARAMSHALA, Oct 17: A bunch of semi-professionals from the Netherlands, including an Uber Eats delivery boy, caused the World Cup’s second major upset in three days, as it shocked an in-form South Africa by 38 runs here today.
Put in to bat in challenging conditions after the rain reduced the contest to 43 over a side, the Netherlands found themselves reeling at 140 for seven before their captain Scott Edwards staged a remarkable recovery with an unbeaten 78 off 69 balls to take his side to a fighting 245 for eight.
With the pitch offering variable bounce and some turn, the Netherlands sniffed an opportunity against a formidable South African batting unit which crumbled under pressure to be all out for 207 in 42.5 overs, handing the Dutch their first World Cup win against a Test playing nation.
Until Tuesday, the Netherlands had only beaten fellow associate nations Namibia and Scotland in their World Cup history, having made their debut back in 1996.
The surprise outcome came 48 hours after Afghanistan shocked defending champions England in Delhi, adding to the unpredictability of the 10 team competition.
The Netherlands, who qualified for the their first World Cup since 2011 by finishing second in the Qualifier earlier this year, have shown significant improvement over the years.
The Dutch had humbled the Proteas in T20 World Cup 11 months ago and at the scenic Dharamsala on Tuesday, they recorded another famous win over them in a less unpredictable format.
At the start of the tournament, Bas de Leede, one of the few full-time cricketers in the team, had expressed delight at cricket being shown live on TV back home after four years. After a landmark performance, he and his team are likely to attract more followers in a football mad nation.
With the Netherlands reducing South Africa to 109 for six, only David Miller (43) stood between them and a memorable win.
De Leede dropping a regulation catch off Miller in the deep raised the nerves in the field and in the dressing room but their fate was sealed in the 31st over when the dangerous left-hander was bowled by pacer Logan van Beek.
Paul van Meekren, who has also worked as an Uber Eats delivery boy, got the crucial wickets of Aiden Markram and and Marco Jansen with two cross seam balls shattering their stumps.
Spinners Colin Ackermann (1/16) and Roelof van der Merwe (2/34), who made his international debut for South Africa before shifting allegiance to the Netherlands, also played a major role in the team’s success.
Ackermann got rid of the in-form Quinton de Kock before van der Merwe found Bavuma’s stumps with a brilliant arm ball as South Africa felt the heat inside the powerplay.
Earlier, intermittent rain added an extra chill in the mountain air.
South Africa expectedly opted to bowl amid the overcast sky and their bunch of formidable pacers including Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi got a lot out of the surface.
However, their death overs bowling left a lot to be desired as the Netherlands plundered 68 runs in the last five overs. The Netherlands were struggling at 140 for seven in the 34th over.
Edwards shared an entertaining 64-run partnership off 37 balls with van der Merwe (29 off 19) towards the end of the innings to take the team past 200.
South Africa’s pace attack is among the potent ones in the competition and the Dutch top-order found them too hot to handle. Aryan Dutt’s unbeaten 23 off nine balls also propped up the total.
Rabada struck in his very first ball of the match as Vikramjit Singh (2 off 16) could not control the pull shot off a delivery that hurried on to him.
Vikramjit’s opening partner Max O’Dowd (18) departed six balls later as the tall left-arm pacer Jansen induced a faint edge off his bat with an angled away delivery.
Star all-rounder Bas de Leede (2) was trapped in front by Rabada, who got the ball to cut back sharply from length.
The pacers also took a flurry of wickets in the middle overs before Edwards and former Proteas star Van der Merwe went on a counter offensive.
Edwards hit 10 boundaries in total and a six via a cracking pull shot off Rabada. Edwards also employed the sweep and reverse sweep against spinner Keshav Maharaj to good effect.
Number 10 Dutt joined the party and smashed three sixes to provide the final flourish.
South Africa were also guilty of conceding 31 extras. (PTI)
TODAY’S FIXTURE
New Zealand vs Afghanistan at Chennai (2 pm)
SCOREBOARD
Netherlands
Vikramjit Singh c Klaasen b Rabada 2
Max ODowdc de Kock b Marco Jansen 18
Colin Ackermann b Gerald Coetzee 13
Bas de Leede lbw b Rabada 27
Sybrand Engelbrecht c Marco Jansen b Lungi Ngidi 19
Teja Nidamanuru lbw b Marco Jansen 20
Scott Edwards not out 78
Logan van Beek st de Kock b Maharaj 10
Roelof van der Merwe c de Kock b Lungi Ngidi 29
Aryan Dutt not out 23
Extras: (lb-9, w-21, nb-1) 31
Total: 245/8 in 43 overs
Fall of wickets: 22-1, 24-2, 40-3, 50-4, 82-5, 112-6, 140-7, 204-8
Bowling: Lungi Ngidi 9-1-57-2, Marco Jansen 8-1-27-2, Kagiso Rabada 9-1-56-2, Gerald Coetzee 8-0-57-1, Keshav Maharaj 9-0-38-1.
South Africa
Temba Bavuma b van der Merwe 16
Quinton de Kock c Edwards b Ackermann 20
Rassie van der Dussen c Aryan Dutt b van der Merwe
Aiden Markram b van Meekeren 1
Heinrich Klaasen c Vikramjit Singh b van Beek 28
David Miller b van Beek 43
Marco Jansen b van Meekeren 9
Gerald Coetzee c Edwards b Bas de Leede 22
Keshav Maharaj c Edwards b van Beek 40
Kagiso Rabada c Sybrand Engelbrecht b Bas de Leede 9
Lungi Ngidi not out 7
Extras: (lb-2, w-5, nb-1) 8
Total: 207 all out in 42.5 overs
Fall of wickets: 36-1, 39-2, 42-3, 44-4, 89-5, 109-6, 145-7, 147-8, 166-9
Bowling: Aryan Dutt 5-1-19-0, Logan van Beek 8.5-0-60-3, Colin
Ackermann 3-0-16-1, Paul van Meekeren 9-0-40-2, Roelof van der Merwe
9-0-34-2, Bas de Leede 8-0-36-2. PTI
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