ICC
The Proteas suffered their first defeat of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 when they fell to an upset 38-run defeat to the Netherlands in a rain-reduced contest in Dharamsala on Tuesday.
After back-to-back victories to start the competition, South Africa were overwhelming favorites to make it three wins from three, but instead fell to one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s history.
After winning a delayed toss and opting to bowl first in a game reduced to 43 overs per side due to rain, the Dutch scored 245 for eight in their 50 overs.
Hampered by a poor start which saw the Proteas slip to 44 for four, they never recovered and were eventually bowled out for 207 in 42.5 overs.
The Proteas will be kicking themselves after again losing to a much lower-ranked Dutch side on the world stage – they lost to the same opponents in a critical game at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year.
It was a poor display by the South Africans, who must quickly regroup ahead of what has now become a crucial game for them against reigning champions England in Mumbai on Saturday.
