South Africa suffered a shocking 38-run defeat at the hands of Netherlands in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Dharamsala on Tuesday (October 17).
The match was reduced to 43 overs per side due to inclement weather. Invited to bat first, the Dutch side rode on skipper Scott Edwards’ unbeaten knock of 78 in 69 balls to post 245/8 on the board.
In reply, the Proteas innings folded for 207 in 42.5 overs. It was a listless batting performance as no one managed to hit a half-century. David Miller was the top scorer with 43.
For Netherlands, Logan van Beek picked up three wickets while Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren and Bas de Leede returned with two scalps each.
Speaking after the game, South African skipper Temba Bavuma urged his team to introspect and cut down on extras as a bowling unit. Notably, the Proteas bowlers conceded a total of 32 extra runs.
"I think we got them to 112/6, we should have restricted them below 200. But while batting, we were confident of chasing down the total. But we didn't get any partnerships. Credit to them for bowling well. We were clinical against Australia. But the challenge is always to come back and replicate the same performance. Bowling 32 extras is not good. It should have been controlled and that will be spoken about," Bavuma said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Temba Bavuma also rued the missed opportunities on the field, which allowed Netherlands to rack up a fighting total despite reeling at 140/7 in the 34th over.
"Fielding wasn't up to the mark. The way we fielded against Australia, it was good, but today we were not up to the standard we have maintained. The boys will have some time to reflect on this performance. You have to let the emotions seep in. There is no point in trying to forget. Let this loss hurt and come back tomorrow with your head held high,” he added.
In the end, the South African captain showered rich praise on the Netherlands team for keeping them under pressure.
"It was a proper display from them. To get to that total after being on 112/6, credit goes to them. They also bowled well and kept us under constant pressure. It shows that they were well-prepared for today's fixture," he concluded.
(India Today Inputs)
