T20 WC 2022, Gr 2, SA v NED: Klaassen-Glover combined 5-29 force South Africa's exit from World Cup

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, Super 12, Group 2, South Africa v Netherlands: Fred Klaassen-Brandon Glover's combined 5-29, Colin Ackermann's 41 off 26 and Anrich Nortje's 1-10 are top performances as Netherlands beat South Africa. South Africa out of semi-final race.

Netherlands kick South Africa out of the T20 World Cup (Photo: ©AFP/Getty Images)

Brief Scores: NED 158/4 (Ackermann 41, Myburgh 37, Maharaj 2/27) beat South Africa 145/8 (Rossouw 25, Glover 3/9, Klaassen 2/20) by 13 runs

Player of the Match: Colin Ackermann (41* in 26 balls)

South Africa, who after two back-to-back victories over India and Bangladesh, lost a vital game against Pakistan, locked horns with Netherlands who were looking for a win to get a direct entry in the next T20 World Cup in 2024. The thirteenth Group 1 game from the Super 12 stage was played at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on Sunday.

In their only meeting in this format during the 2014 T20 World Cup, South Africa got home by just six runs.

Netherlands end their World Cup campaign on a high while South Africa choke

The way Netherlands kept their self-belief to post a huge score of 158 against South Africa’s pace attack and then picked up crucial wickets apart from showing their great fielding abilities to keep the Proteas under pressure till the end was pleasing for the observers of the game.

South Africa and their history of choking in the World Cups is a saga in itself and again in a vital game even against a comparatively weaker side, they didn’t turn up well with both bat and ball as even from a strong position of being at the second place in Group 2 after 4 games, they were knocked out of the World Cup on Sunday.

Read More: T20 WC 2022, Gr 2, NED v ZIM: Van Meekeren's 3-29, O'Dowd's 52 push Zimbabwe to brink of elimination

Fred Klaassen took crucial 2-20 against South Africa (Photo: ©ICC/Getty Images)

Netherlands stun South Africa to knock them out

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma on winning the toss opted to take the field on a sunny morning. While Netherlands were unchanged, South Africa included Keshav Maharaj and David Miller in place of Tristan Stubbs and Tabraiz Shamsi.

Put in to bat first, Netherlands openers provided them a great platform with 48 runs on the board, without any damage in the powerplay, before reaching to 70/1 at the halfway mark. South Africa made a decent comeback in the game to reduce Netherlands to 112/3 in 15 overs, but Colin Ackermann’s unbeaten 41 runs propelled the Dutch to 158/4 in their 20 overs.

Chasing a decent total, South Africa reached 39/2 in the powerplay before reaching 68/3 in 10 overs. They kept on losing wickets and with the pressure mounting, they could reach up to 111/4 in 15 overs. With just 34 runs in the next five overs for the loss of four wickets, the Proteas ended up on the losing side by a margin of 13 runs.

Let’s scan the top three performances from the game between South Africa and Netherlands in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

Ackermann's 41 off 26 helps Netherlands put a good total on board (Photo: ©Getty Images)

Colin Ackermann’s crazy 41* fires up Netherlands

Colin Ackermann has been in top form for the Dutch, giving them some quick runs at the back end to help them put up competitive totals on the scoreboard.

In a vital game against South Africa, coming at 97/2 in the 13th over, Ackermann began with a beautiful boundary driven wide of the keeper, before smashing Lungi Ngidi through point for a boundary. He took on Kagiso Rabada in the penultimate over; the first ball was lofted over mid-on while the third ball was lapped over short third man, before the fourth ball was played in the same fashion for the third boundary of the over.

In the last over, Ackermann crunched a half-volley from Wayne Parnell over deep mid-wicket for a six, before ending the innings on a high with another six smacked over the same region.

Colin Ackermann who remained unbeaten on 41 in 26 balls with the help of three boundaries and couple of sixes, now has 424 T20I runs in 21 games.

Read More: T20 WC 2022, Gr 2, SA v PAK: Shadab's all-round hand (52, 2-16), Afridi's 3-14 help Pak win

Anrich Nortje took 1-10 off his 4 overs quota (Photo: ©Getty Images)

Dutch found Anrich Nortje too hot to handle

For South Africa to keep Netherlands to a low score, they needed their pacers to come up with a superb performance and on a day when everyone was being smashed around the park, Anrich Nortje breathed fire.

In his first two overs, he gave away just five runs to keep the pressure on while he gave away just 1 run in the 16th over which somehow pulled the momentum back in the court of South Africa.

On the first ball of his last and 18th over of the innings, Nortje with his thunder delivery broke the furniture of Bas de Leede on 1, who made room to drive the bowler. Nortje who returned with unbelievable figures of 1/10 in his four overs, now has 35 T20I wickets in 29 games.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 2, IND v SA: Parnell-Ngidi's combined 7-44 hurts India; SA leapfrog to no 1

Brandon Glover's 3-9 derailed South Africa's chase (Photo: ©Getty Images)

Fred Klaassen-Brandon Glover broke South Africa’s back with combined figures of 5/29

Defending a total of 158 against a side like South Africa, Netherlands needed wickets to keep the pressure on the opponents and new ball bowler Fred Klaassen and Brandon Glover who came later, offered them the stage.

On the fourth ball of the third over, Klaassen got the big wicket of Quinton de Kock on 13 who trying to cut the ball, got a faint edge as the wicketkeeper grabbed an easy catch.

Brandon Glover, with his third ball of the game, sent back Rilee Rossouw on 25, who was caught at deep mid-wicket. Klaassen coming for his last over collected the wicket of Aiden Markram (17) who hit the slower ball a bit early as the short cover fielder grabbed an easy catch.

Brandon Glover coming in his second over sent back the most vital threat in David Miller (17) who looking to pull the short ball saw it balloon up in the air as the fielder at square leg grabbed an easy catch. Two balls later, Glover got the wicket of Wayne Parnell who gave catching practice to the keeper.

Fred Klassen finished with 2/20 in his four overs, to now have 38 T20I wickets; while Glover with figures of 3/9, now has 37 T20I wickets in 24 games.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 2, IND v NED: SKY’s 51*, Kohli’s 62* drive India to 2nd win & top of Group 2

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, Group 2 Points Table

Group 2 Points Table

Points Table Scenarios & What’s Next

South Africa have now been knocked out of the tournament, while the winner of the game between Pakistan and Bangladesh will qualify for the semi-final stage.

If the game between Pakistan and Bangladesh gets washed out then these two teams along with South Africa will all have 5 points each. But even then, South Africa stand no chance to qualify for the semi-finals as their net run rate (NRR) is 0.874, which is lesser than that of Pakistan who have a NRR of 1.117. Bangladesh currently have a NRR of -1.276.

India will take on Zimbabwe later in the day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne.

This game is just going to be of academic interest now. Because as a corollary to the outcome of the game between South Africa and Netherlands, India have booked a place in the semi-finals for sure; India have 6 points, a number which could be secured by only one other team in Group 2 as per the standings.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 2, SA v BAN: QdK-Rossouw 168-run stand, Nortje's 4-fer win game for SA

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