Cricket World Cup 2023: Netherlands beats South Africa in another big upset

Netherlands pulled off the second biggest upset in the ICC World Cup 2023 as they defeated South Africa by 38 runs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday. Netherlands' stunning win comes just days after Afghanistan produced the first shock of this World Cup when they crushed defending champions England by 69 runs on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Today, South Africa won the toss but decided to bowl first. While the Netherlands were off to a dismal start, captain Scott Edwards' 78-run knock and Aryan Dutt's fiery 23-run innings off 9 balls powered the team to put 245 on the board in 43 overs.

Chasing 246 to win, the Proteas were off to a cautious start and added 36 runs for the opening partnership. But once Quinton de Kock departed, South Africa's batting collapsed and lost five wickets for merely 89 runs in the 19th over and were all out for 207. 

Dutch bowlers dominated the field as they never allowed South Africa's batting firepower to take charge. For South Africa, David Miller was the highest scorer with 43 runs off 52 deliveries, followed by Keshav Maharaj, who made 40 runs off 37 balls.   

Netizens hailed Netherlands for their spectacular show against what is considered one of the strongest cricket teams in the world. A social media user said that Netherlands Created History in Dharamshala.

"Kamal kar diya," said Shadab Chauhan. "Congratulations Netherlands for fabulous victory over unbeatable South Africa. Edwards leads from the front."

Another user said that this was a magnificent performance by Netherlands to beat South Africa once again. "Van Der Merwe always clicks against his ex-team. Scott Edwards batting and captaincy was phenomenal in this match." Merwe made a significant contribution to the team as he added 29 runs off 19 deliveries and picked up two wickets for Netherlands.

The netizens also praised the Dutch captain for his crucial 78 runs, the highest from the team. "Netherlands captain Scott Edwards is Player of the Match! He came in to bat when his team was in tatters at 82/5 and took them to 245/8! What a performer," Farid Khan said.