Twitter erupts as Netherlands register a historical win in the World Cup against South Africa

Netherlands defeated South Africa by 38 runs in match No. 15 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Netherlands have done the unthinkable and caused a major upset in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with a spirited performance. South Africans were smashed by Dutch at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. Netherlands have decimated South Africans by 38 runs in a league match. This is the second major upset in the World Cup 2023 within three days. On Sunday, Afghanistan thrashed England by 69 runs in Delhi.

Netherlands had defeated South Africa in the 2022 T20 World Cup game as well, and now they have replicated the similar performance in the 50-overs format. Social media erupted over another upset in the World Cup this week, and everyone looks impressed with the kind of dominating performance men in orange have put against a world-class side like South Africa. This is their only third victory in the World Cup, and this came after 16 years.

Powerful performance from Netherlands

Batting first, Netherlands had a poor start as their top-order faltered against South Africa's pace attack. Teja Nidamanuru (20) was the only one among the top-6 to get to the 20-runs mark for Netherlands. They were 7 wickets down in 140 runs and had 10 overs in their hands. Due to heavy showers, the game was curtailed to 43 overs a side. In this crisis, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards (78) put on a wonderful 64-runs stand along with Roelof van der Merwe (29) for the 8th wicket.

Scott Edwards scored 78 runs in 69 balls to take his team towards a challenging total and played a magnificent anchor role in the two partnerships from the lower-order. After van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt (23 in nine balls) fired three sixes to take Netherlands to 245 runs. South Africa needed 246 runs to win the game and remain unbeaten, but it wasn’t a day for Proteas. Their batting line-up collapsed, and they couldn’t even put a long partnership in their chase.

Roelof van der Merwe (2/34) contributed with the ball as well and got two huge wickets of South African top- order. David Miller was the top-scorer in South African innings with a 43 runs knock in 52 balls. Netherlands pace attack looked threatening, and the dew factor also didn’t come to any use for South Africa in their chase. Bas De Leede and Paul Van Meekeren also contributed with two wickets each in the innings to give Netherlands a historic win.