The Netherlands have become the Proteas’ bogey team at ICC events over the last two years, with the Dutch beating South Africa’s national cricket team in two World Cup meetings.
The Dutch shocked South Africa at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, which knocked the Proteas out of the tournament. At the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, they brought a much-vaunted Proteas batting line-up down to earth with an epic all-round performance.
There has been a couple of one-side matches too, with the Proteas wiping the floor with the Netherlands. But most of these games have surprisingly hard-fought affairs.
With the two teams facing each other again in the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York on Saturday, IOL Sport’s John Goliath looks at four memorable ICC World Cup matches between the Proteas and the Netherlands.
2007 Cricket World Cup:
SA 353/3
Ned 132/9
SA won by 221 runs
Jacques Kallis 128 off 109 was overshadowed by Herschelle Gibbs smashing six sixes in an over off the poor Daan van Bunge, who went for 14 runs an over as the Proteas smashed Netherlands to all parts. Gibbs scored 72 off 40, including that 36 off Van Bunge, while Mark Boucher also bludgeoned 75 off 31 balls. The Proteas bowlers then shared the Dutch wickets around, with all-rounder Justin Kemp the pick with 2/18.
2014 T20 World Cup:
SA 145/9
Netherlands 139
South Africa won by 5 runs
Ahsan Malik blew the Proteas away with with figures of 5/19 from his four overs to restrict the South Africans to 145/9 in Bangladesh. Only Hashim Amla (43 off 22 balls) could provide any resistance. SA-born Stephan Myburgh (51 off 28 balls) put the Netherlands on the brink of victory with a powerful half-century, but leg-spinner Imran Tahir 4/21 weaved his magic to spare the Proteas’ blushes.
2022 Cricket World Cup
Netherlands 158/4
South Africa 145/8
Netherlands won by 13 runs
The Proteas needed to win this match to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in Australia. The whole of South Africa went to bed thinking we would wake up to a routine win. However, another SA-born player, Colin Ackermann (41 not out off 26 balls) got the Dutch to a tricky target. The Proteas then buckled under the pressure of the run chase, with Brandon Glover (3/9) bowling the Netherlands to victory.
2023 Cricket World Cup
Ned 245/8
SA 207
Netherlands won by 38 runs
The Proteas came into the match on the back of two awesome batting displays, scoring over 300 runs in both matches. The South Africans had the Netherlands reeling at 140/7, but Scott Edwards (78 off 69 balls) and the SA-born “Bulldog”, Roelof van der Merwe (29 off 19 balls), got them to a respectable target. The feisty Van der Merwe then took 2/34 with the ball as the Proteas’ wilted under the Dutch pressure.
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IOL Sport