In yet another surprising twist at the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, the Netherlands pulled off a remarkable victory, defeating South Africa by 38 runs in the 15th ODI of the tournament. This victory adds to the growing list of upsets, following Afghanistan’s unexpected win over England in the previous match. The thrilling encounter unfolded at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, where South Africa was heavily favored to secure a win. Despite winning the toss and electing to field first, the match was disrupted by rain, reducing the overs from 50 to 43.
Batting first, the Netherlands faced early challenges as their top and middle-order batsmen struggled to make substantial contributions. Captain Scott Edwards emerged as the standout performer, scoring an impressive 78 runs off 69 balls while remaining not out. Bowler Roelof van der Merwe also played a pivotal role, contributing a quick 29 runs from just 19 balls before being caught by Quinton de Kock off Lungi Ngidi’s delivery. Aryan Dutt, a bowler, provided a surprise at the end, scoring a rapid 23 runs in just 9 balls, helping the Netherlands reach 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, made efforts in the lower order, but their contributions fell short of securing 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.
