• By Manik Sharma
  • Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:52 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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In the picturesque setting of Dharamsala, the Netherlands have staged an incredible comeback to secure a historic upset against South Africa. With Afghanistan's recent triumph in Delhi, the door of belief was flung wide open for the lower-ranked teams, and the Dutch have charged right through it.

They clinched a 38-run victory, marking their first win of the tournament. The Men in Orange displayed nerves of steel, consistently picking up crucial wickets in tense moments of the game.

In a thrilling encounter at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, David Miller tried to hold the innings together for South Africa with a valiant 43, but the Netherlands bowlers proved too much to handle. The Proteas needed more than 100 runs when Miller was dismissed.

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Logan van Beek and Roelof van der Merwe's standout performance with the ball was the turning point of the match. Key dismissals of van der Merwe included skipper Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen. Dangerous Miller and Heinrich Klaasen fell victim to de Leede's cunning deliveries.

Earlier, Netherlands set a formidable target of 245 in 43 overs after losing the toss. After a rocky start that saw them at 112/6 in the 27th Over, the Netherlands staged a remarkable comeback. Scott Edwards, the Dutch captain joined the fray after the fall of the fifth wicket. He anchored the innings brilliantly, remaining unbeaten with a well-crafted 78 from 69 balls.

Edwards built crucial partnerships, the most significant being the 64-run stand with van der Merwe, which came off just 37 deliveries. The unbeaten partnership with Aryan Dutt added a quickfire 23 runs from 19 balls, with Dutt contributing 23 not out. In the final nine overs, they amassed 104 runs, with an impressive 64 coming in the last five overs.

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Qualifying for their first World Cup since 2011, the Netherlands displayed notable progress. Just 11 months after defeating the Proteas in the T20 World Cup, they secured another remarkable win at Dharamsala in a more traditional format.

The Proteas have won two out of their first three matches in the tournament while the Dutch tasted their first win in the tournament.