Netherlands face a formidable challenge as they gear up to confront a red-hot South African side in Dharamsala on Tuesday (October 17). Riding a wave of good form, the South Africans would look to extend their winning streak in this World Cup to three in three matches.
Against a Dutch side struggling to find its feet in the tournament, South Africa are a supremely confident lot, following a 134-run win against Australia in their previous match. Once again, their batting will revolve around Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram.
Perched at a higher altitude, the venue offers the advantage of faster ball travel, a factor that South Africa’s batters intend to exploit. Scoring over 300 has become a habit for this team. They have done that in their last five games, including a World Cup record of 428 against Sri Lanka in their opening game.
The pitch at HPCA Stadium will assist high scoring. The bounce and pace will be consistent, which could favour the fast bowlers. The Netherlands can draw inspiration from Afghanistan’s remarkable win against England. They have a bunch of able cricketers, who lack the experience of playing against bigger teams.
Speaking ahead of the match, Dutch player Sybrand Engelbrecht had said that for them, learning is an important part. “We lost against Pakistan and New Zealand, searching for consistency and prolonged periods of high performance. This in itself is a testament to this group’s willingness to accept reality and see the opportunity this brings. We play with SOUL (selflessness, ownership, unity and learning).”
In their previous encounters, the Netherlands showed glimpses of promise. Bas de Leede made a gritty 67 against Pakistan and Colin Ackermann 69 against New Zealand. However, their inability to see the game through ultimately led to their downfall. Much will be expected of these two against South Africa’s fast bowlers. They also have a decent attack, with various types of bowlers.
Dew will be a concern for both teams. The winner of the toss will likely opt to field, as batting tends to become easier in the second innings when things get moist in the evening.
This is what captain Temba Bavuma had to say on South Africa’s game plan. “We will keep doing what we are doing and take it game by game. Every game will present different opportunities and challenges and it’s important to man up to whatever those challenges are.” For the Netherlands, the focus will be on putting up a fight and taking the match as deep as possible.
Time and venue details
October 17. From 14:00 IST. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala.
Expected conditions
It’s an even paced pitch which will offer some bounce. Runs can be scored once the batters are set. There is a forecast of drizzle though.
Possible XIs
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee/Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.
Netherlands: Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (c/wk), Saqib Zulfiqar, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.
Match-ups
Rabada vs Ackermann: Rabada’s tally of five wickets is the most among South African bowlers. Against Australia, he was in rhythm and masterful, which sets up an exciting battle between him and Ackermann. The batter has three half-centuries in eight ODI innings and seems to be getting better with each outing.
Team speaks
We will keep doing what we are doing and take it game by game. Every game will present different opportunities and challenges and it’s important to man up to whatever those challenges are.
Temba Bavuma (South Africa captain)
We lost against Pakistan and New Zealand, searching for consistency and prolonged periods of high performance. This in itself is a testament to this group’s willingness to accept reality and see the opportunity this brings.
Sybrand Engelbrecht (The Netherlands player)