WC 2023: Upsets Continue as Netherlands Stuns South Africa In WC 2023
Varad Bhatkhande
Dharamshala, 17th October 2023: In yet another unexpected turn of events in the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, the Netherlands triumphed over South Africa with an impressive 38-run victory in the 15th ODI of the tournament. This result adds to the tournament’s growing list of upsets, with Afghanistan’s surprising win over England in the previous match. The contest took place at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, where South Africa was heavily favoured to secure a win. Winning the toss, South Africa elected to field first. However, rain disrupted the match, causing it to be reduced to 43 overs instead of the usual 50.
When batting first, the Netherlands faced difficulties with their top and middle-order batsmen struggling to make a substantial contribution. Captain Scott Edwards emerged as the standout performer with an impressive 78 runs off 69 balls while remaining not out. Bowler Roelof van der Merwe also played a vital role, contributing a quick 29 runs from just 19 balls before being caught by Quinton de Kock off Lungi Ngidi’s delivery. Bowler Aryan Dutt delivered a surprise at the end, scoring a rapid 23 runs in just 9 balls, leaving the Netherlands with a competitive total of 245 runs for the loss of 8 wickets.
In the bowling department for South Africa, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada each claimed two wickets, while Gerald Coetzee and Keshav Maharaj secured one wicket each.
South African openers Quinton de Kock and Captain Temba Bavuma, along with the top-order batsmen, struggled to make an impact as they fell for low scores. Heinrich Klaasen managed to score 28 runs off 28 balls before Vikramjit Singh caught him on Logan van Beek’s delivery. David Miller contributed with 43 runs off 52 balls before being bowled out by Logan van Beek. Gerald Coetzee, along with Keshav Maharaj, put in an effort in the lower order, but their contributions were not enough to secure a victory. South Africa was ultimately all out for 207 runs in the 43rd over.
As we witness the second major upset in this tournament, the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 promises to be as memorable as the 2022 FIFA World Cup, marked by numerous unexpected outcomes that will be cherished by generations to come.
Tomorrow, Afghanistan, the team that created the first major upset in this edition of the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup by beating Australia, will face New Zealand in the 16th match of the tournament at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Join Punekar News Whatsapp Group, Telegram, Instagram And Twitter For Regular Update about Pune City And Pimpri-Chinchwad
