The Netherlands Coach said to the Netherlands team in the meeting “You are not any more associate nations, and that image should be broken from your mind first to win the ICC World Cup match and qualify for Semi Finals. Well said that, and it is clearly carried by every Netherlands player who showed intent with a bold statement in the first two matches and finally got a significant victory over South Africa.
Netherlands Batting – Fired In Last Five Overs
In a rain-affected match with 43 overs on each side, the Netherlands initially struggled at 112/6 in the 27th over. However, their captain, Scott Edwards, played a brilliant unbeaten innings of 78 runs from 69 balls. He received valuable support from Van Der Merwe (29 runs with 3 fours and 1 six) and Aryan Dutt (23 runs with 3 sixes). Together, they helped the Netherlands post a competitive total of 245 runs. South Africa conceded a significant 104 runs in the last nine overs, with 32 extras contributing to a hefty 64 runs in the final five overs. The Netherlands gained momentum in the last 10 overs and thrashed South African bowlers.
Netherlands Bowlers Joined The Party & Secured The Win For Netherlands
When South Africa began their innings, they faced early setbacks, losing two wickets with less than 40 runs on the board in the first 10 overs. The Dutch bowlers kept the pressure on with a run rate below 5, leading to the eventual downfall of the South African batting lineup.
The Netherlands’ bowlers exhibited discipline and aggression, particularly during the powerplay. The inclusion of two off-spin bowlers added to the variety and confusion for the South African batsmen. The Netherlands conceded only five extras, a testament to their disciplined bowling..
Almost all the bowlers took a wicket except 1 bowler. Logan van Beek took 3 wickets with his slower cross-seamers & bouncer. Also, Colin Ackermann chipped in with a vital wicket during the powerplay. Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe & Bas de Leede each took 2 wickets to take their team across the winning line.
Many South African batters played in backfoot instead of playing in frontfoot that caused them a big collapse that’s being the fashion of ICC World Cup 2023.
Netherlands & Afghanistan Domination
Pressure situation will create a Superhero, but this World Cup produced 2 super teams (Afg & Ned) so far, and yet more to come. The World Cup has witnessed the rise of underdog teams like Afghanistan and the Netherlands, hinting at the possibility of small teams upsetting giants in the semi-finals. Considering this unpredictability and excitement, cricket enthusiasts can expect nail-biting contests and perhaps more surprises as the tournament progresses.
PC: Cricbuzz
