Cricket Classics - Part XXViii : 2022 T20 World Cup – Netherlands vs South Africa
Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,
Cricket is not just a sport between two teams; it's a battle of skills, strategy, and capitalizing on clutch moments. Although the game has transformed over the decades, it has never failed to impress or leave us with unforgettable moments.
So, through this series, I will present some of the most iconic cricket matches that have made fans jump out of their seats. Let's remember those legendary games once a week. I am with another iconic match.
2022 Men's T20 World Cup was held in Australia from 16 October to 13 November 2022, with 16 teams. England won the tournament, defeating Pakistan. It was their second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title, and consecutive World Cup trophy after winning the 50-Over World Cup in 2019.
Anyway, today I am going to present to you another big upset in World Cup history. We know Cricket is an unpredictable game, but what the Netherlands did by defeating South Africa was something extraordinary. It was out of the blue, as the team no. 4 in the ranking at the time, with some crazy lineup, was not just defeated, but was kicked out of the tournament by the 17th-ranked team.
The South African team was led by Temba Bavuma, with big names like Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, Miller, Klaseen, Kagiso Rabada, etc. Scott Edwards captained the Netherlands team, with Ackermann, Bas de Leede, van der Merwe, etc. When you see the two teams, it shows the clear predictions. South Africa needed one win to advance to the semis, and the Netherlands had already been eliminated.
It was the 40th match of the tournament. The date was 6 November 2022, at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
Well, Rabada, Parnell, Ngidi, Nortje, on an Aussie pitch, is always a threat to the opponents. Anyway, the openers Stephan Myburgh and Max ODowd started well with a 58-run partnership for the first wicket. But their run rate was slow. Tom Cooper(35 runs off 19 balls) and Ackermann(41 runs off 26 balls) used that foundation and accelerated the inning.
They played fearless cricket, and overall, it was very mature from them. At the end, the score was 158/4 in the 20 overs. It was a good total on the pitch.
Quinton de Kock and Bavuma started the chase. But they couldn't show their usual aggression in the first few overs. At the end of the power play, the score was just 39/2. Fred Klaassen and Colin Ackermann particularly restricted the easy flow of runs.
Even though every SA batter takes the start, they couldn't play their usual aggressive rhythm or keep going. The Netherlands not just regularly picked up wickets, but also kept the run rate tight. Especially Brandon Glover took 3 wickets in just 2 overs, damaging the SA backbone. In the 16th over, he took two quick wickets. Miller was caught by a stunning catch van der Merwe, a former SA player!!
Even though this is a small target, SA batters couldn't accelerate the inning. They needed 26 runs off the last over, and they could score only 145/8. The Netherlands won the match by 13 runs. With that win, South Africa was kicked out, and India got the chance to advance to the semis.
See you at the next episode!! You can always suggest a match to discuss in the next episode.
src - espncricinfo
Wikipedia
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