The Netherlands cricket team secured a remarkable victory over South Africa in a World Cup clash on Tuesday, leaving captain Scott Edwards thrilled with the “big win”. The Proteas skipper, Temba Bavuma, admitted that the 38-run loss would be painful for his team. Chasing a target of 246 runs in a rain-reduced 43 overs, South Africa was bowled out for 207.
Edwards expressed his pride in the team’s performance and his personal contribution of an unbeaten 78 runs. He highlighted the importance of defeating strong teams like South Africa to have a chance at reaching the semi-finals. The win was a significant milestone for the Dutch team, marking their first victory over a Test-playing nation in a 50-over World Cup.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Cheslin Kolbe’s Charge-Down: A Game-Changing Moment In World Cup Quarter-Final
The Netherlands had previously stunned South Africa at the T20 World Cup in Adelaide last November. Edwards praised the role of all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe, who had previously represented South Africa before joining the Netherlands. Van der Merwe’s quickfire 29 off 19 balls, along with Edwards’ innings, helped the team recover from a challenging situation at 112-6. The captain also commended tail-ender Aryan Dutt’s exceptional hitting, which included three sixes in his knock of 23 from nine balls.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Mamelodi Sundowns Unveils New ‘African Dawn’ Kit For African Football League
On the other hand, the Proteas entered the game with confidence after impressive wins against Sri Lanka and Australia. However, they lost key batsmen Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, and Rassie van der Dussen early in the innings, leaving them struggling at 44-4. Their focus then shifted to batting out the overs to minimize the damage to their net run-rate.
Bavuma acknowledged the Netherlands’ ability to exploit weaknesses in their game and emphasized the need for his team to address the issue of extras given away while bowling. South Africa conceded 32 extras, including 21 wides, which proved costly in the end. Despite the loss, Bavuma stressed the importance of letting the emotion sink in and learning from the defeat.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://surgezirc.co.za/sports/bavuma-proteas-hurt-by-shock-loss/&media=https://surgezirc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Proteas-1-1-2.png&description=The Netherlands cricket team secured a remarkable victory over South Africa in a World Cup clash on Tuesday, leaving captain Scott Edwards thrilled with the "big win". The Proteas skipper,){kind=link}