CWC 2023, Netherlands vs South Africa: Scott Edwards' 78, Roelof van der Merwe's 29 & 2-34 and Logan van Beek's 3-60 are top performances. Netherlands beat South Africa and script history.
Brief Score - Netherlands - 245/8 (S. Edwards 78*, R. van der Merwe 29, M. Jansen 2/27) beat South Africa 207 all-out (D. Miller 43, K. Maharaj 40, L. van Beek 3/60) by 38 runs.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 witnessed another upset as the Netherlands beat South Africa, marking a historic win. This is the first time that the Dutch team has beaten a Test-playing side in ODIs,
In-form South Africa faced the Netherlands in a rain-affected match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. The Proteas were unbeaten in the two games they played so far, whereas the Dutch side have lost both matches. Records favored South Africa as they were undefeated against the Netherlands in the ODI format.
The match was reduced to a 43-over-per-side contest after rain delayed the start of proceedings by almost two hours. The Netherlands got their first win against unbeaten South Africa in the ongoing edition.
Talking Point from South Africa vs Netherlands, Dharamsala
South Africa batters' poor outing & bowlers lost momentum after the good start cost them the game.
South Africa had a good start with the ball picking some early wickets, but soon, their bowlers looked like they completely lost control. The Netherlands was 82 for 5 when Edwards came in and took over the control. From there, the South African bowlers lost momentum as the Dutch team recovered and finished at 245/8. The strong SA bowling department failed to all-out the Netherlands after being in a good position.
The South African batters haven’t been in control as they lost wickets frequently. Though they started well, the Netherlands bowlers later dominated the SA batters. It was David Miller who did try to revive the innings but failed to turn it big. Apart from him, no other batters stood there in the middle face. As a result, they got all out for just 207 runs.
Scott Edwards and the bowlers scripted a memorable victory for Netherlands
South Africa won the toss and invited Netherlands to bat first in the rain-hit contest. The SA pacers dominated the game completely in the starting as wickets kept falling for the Dutch side. Netherlands openers Vikramjit & Max O’Dowd started cautiously, but soon both got dismissed. With Vikramjit’s wicket, Rabada completed his 150 wickets in the ODI and shortly got his 151 wickets by dismissing in-form Bas-de-Leede. The Dutch batters struggled under South Africa's pace attack. Soon, Skipper Scott Edwards took control & kept fighting till the end, playing a brilliant innings against the dangerous SA bowling unit. The Netherlands made a superb comeback and finished at 245 for 8 after 43 overs, credit to their captain’s knock and Aryan Dutt’s finishing touch of quick 23 runs off 9 balls.
In the second innings, Netherlands got the perfect start with some early wickets. South Africa openers didn’t look in control and got dismissed. The Dutch bowlers have shown some serious cricket. Roelof van der Merwe, who played a good knock with the bat, bowled brilliantly, picking two major wickets. No Proteas batter looked in good touch except Miller, who scored 43 runs. Netherlands bowler van Beek bowled a stunning delivery to get Miller out, making it difficult for the tailenders to compete. The Proteas had a poor outing with the bat, resulting in a defeat.
Top three performances from the South Africa vs. Netherlands game in CWC 2023
Scott Edwards led from the front
Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards played a captain’s knock, leading the team from the front. His sensational counterattacking innings of 78 runs aided the Netherlands to a formidable score of 245 runs.
He played one of the best innings of his career as he went unbeaten on 78 off 69 balls. His valiant innings helped the Netherlands recover from a horrendous position and put on a defendable total against the Proteas.
Van der Merwe's all-round performance helped Netherlands script history
Roelof van der Merwe had a stunning outing with both bat & ball. His 64-run partnership with Edwards helped the Netherlands to finish with a fightable total. His valuable 29-run inning from 19 balls further enhanced their commendable total. He also had a good day with the ball, picking 2 crucial wickets. He cleans up South Africa captain Bavuma with a remarkable delivery. He played a pivotal role in Netherlands historic victory over South Africa.
Read More: CWC 2023, NZ vs NED: Santner's fifer, top-order's clinical batting gifts Kiwis second win
Logan van Beek stunned South Africa batters
Logan van Beek was another player who played a crucial role in the Netherlands' momentous victory. He cleaned up David Miller, the only SA batter who looked stable for some time. Beek looked dangerous with the ball against the strong batting line-up of South Africa. The Bavuma-led side could not recover against Netherlands bowlers and lost wickets regularly.
Statistical Highlights from South Africa vs Netherlands, Dharamsala
South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada completed his 150 wickets in ODI cricket, making him the fourth-fastest South Africa bowler to reach this mark.
Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards's 78 runs against SA is the highest individual score at number 7 for Netherlands in ODI CWC.
Scott Edwards & Van der Merwe's 64-run partnership is now the highest eighth-wicket partnership for the Netherlands in ODI CWC.
Scott Edwards becomes the first Netherlands batter to score a fifty at number 7 in ODI CWC.
Read More: CWC 2023, SA vs SL: Markram scores fastest WC century; top-order blockbuster outing helps SA win
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table
Points Table Scenario & What's Next
With a historic win over South Africa, the Netherlands are in 9th position on the points table with 2 points, whereas South Africa is at 3rs spot with 4 points. New Zealand will take on Afghanistan in the next match of CWC 2023 on October 18 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.