On October 17 at the Dharmasala stadium in Himachal Pradesh, the Netherlands secured a 38-run victory against South Africa in the ICC World Cup 2023 match.
The match was shortened to a 43-over-per-side contest due to a nearly two-hour delay. Both teams made one change to their lineups, with Gerald Coetzee replacing Tabraiz Shamsi in the Proteas playing XI and Logan van Beek returning to the Netherlands’ playing XI in place of Ryan Klein.
South Africa’s pace bowlers initially put pressure on the Netherlands, who were asked to bat first. Kagiso Rabada claimed two wickets, while Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee each took one wicket as the Netherlands lost four wickets with a total of 50 runs on the board. Sybrand Engelbrecht and Teja Nidamanuru then added 32 runs before Rabada provided South Africa with another breakthrough. By the 34th over, the Netherlands found themselves at 140/7. However, a remarkable fightback was led by their captain, Scott Edwards, who partnered with former South African star Roelof van der Merwe to add 64 runs in just 37 balls. The situation took a surprising turn when Aryan Dutt, batting at No. 10, smashed three sixes. South Africa’s fielding became erratic during this period, allowing the Netherlands to post a total of 245/8. Edwards remained unbeaten with a score of 78 off 69 balls.
South Africa appeared to have a promising start to their chase with captain Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock forming a solid opening partnership. However, their fortunes took a downturn as they went from 36/0 to 44/4 between the eighth and 12th overs. While Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller tried to stabilize the innings, Klaasen fell when the score was 89. The Netherlands persisted, picking up wickets, including David Miller’s, to secure their first-ever World Cup win against a Test-playing nation. South Africa was eventually bowled out for 207, with just one ball remaining in the match.
Explore the reactions of fans and cricketers to the Netherlands’ stunning 38-run victory:
Last Updated on October 17, 2023
Senior Sports Copywriter