The Netherlands knocked out South Africa from qualifying for the semi finals with a shock 13-run win in their Super 12 match of the T20 Cricket World Cup in Adelaide yesterday.
Chasing 159 for victory the South Africans got into early trouble when Quinton de Kock was dismissed for 13 with the total at 21 in the third over and were not able to dig in as they lost wickets at regular intervals to be restricted to 145 for 8 in the 20 overs.
The turning point in the match for the Netherlands came in the 16th over when South Africa’s potential and reliable match winner David Miller fell to a spectacular running catch taken by Roelof van der Merwe who ran backwards and held on to the ball before it hit the ground with the total at 112.
Miller could manage just 17 runs and with the in-form Aiden Markram and Rilee Rossouw also out the Netherlands knew it was a matter of time that they would be able to record their first win against a top quality side like South Africa.
Batting first the Netherlands did not lose any wickets until they reached 58 when Stephen Myburgh was out for 37 in the third ball of the ninth over.
But the Netherlands innings gathered momentum when the pair of Tom Cooper and Colin Ackermann hit some lusty blows to accelerate the scoring.
Cooper clouted two sixes and two fours in making 35 off only 19 balls while Ackermann struck an imposing unbeaten 41 from just 26 balls that had three fours and two sixes.
South Africa’s fast bowling trio of Wayne Parnell, Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada were total failures on the day as they conceded 104 runs from the six overs they bowled. South Africa had to win the match to qualify for a place in the semi finals.
Scores:
Netherlands 158 for 4 in 20 overs (Stephen Myburgh 37, Max O’Dowd 29, Tom Cooper 35, Colin Ackermann 41 not out, Keshav Maharaj 2 for 27)
South Africa 145 for 8 in 20 overs (Temba Bavuma 20, Rilee Rossouw 25, Heinrich Klassen 21, Fred Klaassen 2 for 20, Brandon Glover 3 for 9, Bas de Leede 2 for 25)