Netherlands upset South Africa with 38-run win

The Netherlands beat South Africa by 38 runs on Tuesday at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, India. This was a big surprise in the World Cup 2023, which is still going on.

The Dutch won the big event for the first time.

The Netherlands were a tough opponent for South Africa once again. They had trouble for Temba Bavuma’s team right from the start of their game, just like they did in the T20 World Cup 2022.

South Africa got off to a terrible start. After just 11.2 overs, they were 44-4, and reliable batters like Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, and Aidan Markram all went back to the dugout.

The team led by Scott Edwards stayed in charge and put pressure on the Proteas as they tried to reach the 246-run goal.

There was some hope that the left-handed hitter would help them get closer to the goal after Bas de Leede dropped the dangerous David Miller at 23 runs. Miller’s turn, though, was cut short by a faster ball from Logan van Beek, which ended his team’s chances. It took just 207 runs for the Proteas to be out.

The Netherlands’ innings also fell apart, as their opponents’ did. They were 50-4 after 15.1 overs and kept losing wickets.

At one point, it looked like the whole team might be out before they got to 150 runs. Their captain, Scott Edwards, played a determined and brave knock, though. Batting at number seven, he scored 78 runs off of 69 balls, including 11 fours. His hard work helped his team score 245 runs in 43 overs, which was a good score.

Roelof van der Merwe (29 off 19) and Aryan Dutt (23 off 9) both hit quick runs to help Edwards.

South Africa’s net run rate (NRR) was greatly affected by the big loss. The Proteas beat Sri Lanka and Australia by scores of 102 and 134 runs, respectively, in their first two games.

South Africa’s next game is on October 21 at the Wankhede Stadium, where they will play a failing England team. England just lost to Afghanistan in the World Cup, which was a big surprise. At the same time, Sri Lanka will play the Netherlands in Lucknow on the same day.