Matchday - Live!
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Dutch delight!
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Van Beek does it at the last! Maharaj struck some defiant blows but is finally last man out from the penultimate ball of the innings. Netherlands have done the double over South Africa - having beaten them at the T20 World Cup last year - and recorded only their third win ever at ODI World Cups (having previously beaten Namibia and Scotland). The final margin was 38 runs, but victory was even more comfortable than that for the Dutch, who rallied from 112 for 6 with the bat before completing the job with an incisive all-round bowling display.
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Playing for NRR?
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The inevitable is moving ever closer for South Africa, even as Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi tap it around during their last-wicket stand. With four overs to go, the asking rate is up to 16 runs an over - but Maharaj seems intent on whittling away as many as possible from the target, keeping in mind how important net run rate could be later in the tournament.
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SA nine down
De Leede bags another as Kagiso Rabada, who had thumped van Beek for six in the preceding over, skews a drive to backward point, where another SA old boy, Sybrand Engelbrecht, clings on to a diving catch. Netherlands are just one wicket away...
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De Leede chimes in
Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards takes a cool catch under pressure to remove Gerald Coetzee. Bas de Leede celebrates a wicket after Coetzee attempted to pull and top-edged high into the air, Edwards seemingly having to wait an age before the ball dropped into his gloves, and he looked relieved to have held on.
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Miller out!
Is that South Africa's last hope of denying Dutch delight? Van Beek strings together a run of dot balls and then beats Miller's heave across the line to hit the top of off stump! The danger man goes and Netherlands are almost in the promised land.
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SA six down!
A stunning cross-seam delivery from Paul van Meekeren keeps low and crashes into Marco Jansen's stumps. South Africa staring into the abyss now at 109 for 6. Want to know what makes this Dutch side tick? Check out Nagraj Gollapudi's piece here.
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Miller survives!
Bas de Leede puts down a chance, which would have given Roelof van der Merwe his third wicket and rubbed another hugely dangerous SA batter, David Miller, out of the game. Here's how our bbb commentator, Shashwat Kumar, described that one:
"In the air, and it is put down. Goes for four too, what a moment in the game! Given a bit of air outside off. Miller comes down the track and slogs at it. It goes miles up in the air and when it comes down, de Leede grasses it at long on"
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Been here before, but a while ago
By Firdose Moonda
South Africa last batted second six ODIs ago, against Australia in Bloemfontein when they conceded 392 and were bowled out for 269 to lose by 123 runs. They last won a match chasing in March, when they beat Netherlands by eight wickets to earn crucial points on the World Cup Super League. South Africa were only chasing 190 at the time.
The last time South Africa successfully chased a score over 200 was also in March, when they gunned down a target of 261 set by West Indies, inside 30 overs. They were also in trouble in that chase, at 87 for 4 in the 13th over before Heinrich Klaasen scored an unbeaten 119 and shared a 103-run sixth wicket stand with Marco Jansen, which convinced South Africa he could bat as high as No.7.
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van Beek removes Klaasen
Logan van Beek, back from a hamstring injury, strikes to remove danger man Heinrich Klaasen for a run-a-ball 28, picking out Vikramjit Singh at deep fine leg to make it 89 for 5 for South Africa.
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van der Merwe again!
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South Africa lose four wickets in five overs as Roelof van der Merwe picks up his second, Rassie van der Dussen chipping to backward point.
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Bang, bang, bang!
Paul van Meekeren removes Aiden Markram for just 1 to become the third Netherlands bowler to take a wicket as South Africa's run chase flounders badly. The pre-match favourites are now 42 for 3 needing 246 to win. van Meekeren pings the top of middle and off stumps with a shorter ball that kept low and beat the batter completely.
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'Bulldog' back in action!
Roelof van der Merwe, hot off his crucial 29 off 19, strikes with his first ball of the innings - and how! An absolute peach splatters Temba Bavuma's stumps, sliding through the gate to put South Africa at 39 for 2 chasing 246 for victory.
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Ackermann removes de Kock
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Edwards level with ten Doeschate
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Edwards leads by example
What an innings from Scott Edwards! Coming in with his side 82 for 5, he shared crucial stands worth 64 with Roelof van der Merwe (29 off 19) and an unbroken 41 with Aryan Dutt as Netherlands piled on 105 runs from the last nine overs. Edwards finished on 78 not out off 69 deliveries, Dutt added an excellent 23 off nine and, at 245 for 8, the Netherlands bowlers have something pretty decent to defend.
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van der Merwe falls
Roelof van der Merwe departs after a neat cameo worth 29 off just 19 balls and sharing a 64-run partnership with Scott Edwards, who remains unbeaten on 64. South Africa have let Netherlands back in here at 204 for 8. But Lungi Ngidi looks to get things back on track with a slow, short ball which van der Merwe pops up towards short third, wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock stepping across to take the catch.
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Fifty stand up for Netherlands
52 the unbroken stand between Scott Edwards and Roelof van der Merwe
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van der Merwe on the move
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Gerald Coetzee concedes 15 runs off the 35th over as Roelof van der Merwe gets a move on.
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Maharaj amongst it
An excellent delivery from Keshav Maharaj accounts for Logan van Beek, Quinton de Kock does the rest.
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Jansen claims his second
32 Netherlands' highest partnership of this match so far
That was between Sybrand Engelbrecht and Teja Nidamanuru as Marco Jansen ends a 30-run stand between the latter and Scott Edwards. Jansen trapped Nidamanuru lbw for 20.
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Batters win matches, bowlers win World Cups
By Vithushan Ehantharajah
Gerald Coetzee’s impact here is a neat summation of South Africa’s bowling options at this World Cup.
The pick of the bowlers in the opener against Sri Lanka, he sat out the second match against Australia as the Proteas opted for the left-arm wrist spin of Tabraiz Shamsi. Now back in for a more seamer-friendly surface in Dharamsala, he is making hay after the powerplay overs.
The bankers of Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada offer various combinations of seam, swing, pace and bounce. As such, Coetzee is a “relief” bowler who allows skipper Temba Bavuma to cycle through those three to find the right combinations throughout the important passages. Ultimately, the 23-year-old is saved for the donkey work, and has no qualms with any of it.
Even in this passage, with South Africa opting to test out Dutch batters against the short ball, Coetzee has mixed things up with the odd cross-seam delivery rearing up past the ears to keep everyone guessing, and going to full, as per the wicket of Colin Ackermann.
While he has been hooked for six by Sybrand Engelbrecht and pulled in front of square for four by Teja Nidamanuru, his extra pace assisted Ngidi, who picked up Engelbrecht after slack pull around the corner, straight to deep fine leg.
Batters win you matches, bowlers win you World Cups. And while South Africa’s explosiveness with the bat has stolen the headlines in the first week of the competition, their attack is a key reason why many regard them a good shot of walking away with the trophy.
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Ngidi's turn
It's a fitter, stronger Lungi Ndidi we're seeing at this World Cup. Mitch McClenaghan told ESPNcricinfo's Match Day live show earlier today that South Africa's white-ball coach, Rob Walter, has played a key part.
"That's probably been led by Rob Walter. He did a similar thing to myself when I was in Otago. He had a frank conversation with me after he'd built some rapport and a relationship and said, 'mate, you need to be fitter, you need to better, set a better example'. When someone can come to you and say that honestly it's really important and it helps a lot," McClenaghan said. "I'm sure that's probably the conversation he's had with Ngidi.
"I've seen his skills develop and the thing I've liked the most about him over this last year or two - and a lot of T20 cricket's helped with that - is his ability to bowl wicket-to-wicket, get the ball to move off the seam and know what lengths need to be bowled at the start."
It's paid off, with Ngidi removing Sybrand Engelbrecht, holing out to Marco Jansen at fine leg.
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Coetzee chimes in
Gerald Coetzee, the South Africa quick called in for left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, sends Colin Ackerman's off stump cartwheeling! Bowling just back of a length outside off, Coetzee entices Ackermann to take a swipe after Netherlands endured a run of 11 dot balls and he chops onto the timber.
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Netherlands' SA connection
A look at some of the players who have a South African connection in the Netherlands side. Two of them are at the crease now.
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Make that 151!
Kagiso Rabada stikes again! No sooner had he snared his 150th ODI wicket with his first delivery of the day, and Rabada takes his second - it's a big one too. Bowling his third over, Rabada pins Bas de Leede lbw with one that nips back off a length and hits the pad just below the knee roll. Given not-out initially, de Leede is sent on his way after South Africa review and ball tracking shows the top of middle stump in peril. A great start by South Africa with Netherlands 40 for 3 in the 11th over.
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That's 150 for Rabada
150 ODI wickets for Kagiso Rabada, in his 95th match, making him the fourth-fastest South Africa bowler to the mark
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SA bowlers not hanging around
Nor are Netherlands' batters, with Max O'Dowd the second wicket to fall in the space of seven balls. Marco Jansen follows Kagiso Rabada's dismissal of Vikramjit Singh by finding an outside edge off O'Dowd, which was collected by Quinton de Kock behind the stumps. South Africa had to use the DRS to send O'Dowd on his way after he was initially adjudged not out, but replays showed a spike as the ball passed the bat.
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Rabada strikes first ball!
Well, Lungi Ngidi took the new ball ahead of Kagiso Rabada but it's the latter who strikes first, with his first ball of the match no less. After a pedestrian 2 off 16 balls, Vikramjit Singh falls attempting to pull and finding Heinrich Klassen, running back from slip and diving to take and excellent grab.
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New start time
A positive update for you - after a two-hour rain delay, the match is scheduled to start at 4pm local time (that's just under half an hour from now) with 43 overs per side. Three bowlers can bowl a maximum of nine overs, two can bowl eight. First powerplay: overs 1-9. Last powerplay: overs 36-43.
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Rain returns
Ugh... one of those days! We thought we'd escaped with just a one-hour delay and were getting ready for this match to get underway and the rain came back, seemingly heavier than before. The covers are back on and now it's a bit of a waiting game.
In the meantime, why not check out Shashank Kishore's piece on Netherlands' Sybrand Engelbrecht, who has had quite a journey to get here.
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South Africa win toss, bowl
South Africa win the toss and bowl first. Captain Temba Bavuma says: "Looking at the conditions we think it might swing a bit, looking to exploit that. It looks like a small ground too, so we think it'll be difficult to defend."
Gerald Coetzee, the right-arm quick, comes in for left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi in the only change for South Africa.
Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards says they would have bowled first too but his team is happy enough to bat. They've made one change - Logan van Beek, having recovered from a hamstring injury, returns to replace Ryan Klein.
South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Gerald Coetzee, 11 Lungi Ngidi
Netherlands: 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Bas de Leede, 5 Teja Nidamanuru, 6 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeren
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Game on!
The latest news from Dharamsala is that we will have a toss at 2.32pm local time, with play to start at 3.00pm. That's a delay of one hour and, importantly, no overs have been lost.
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Covers back on
Oh dear, the covers were off but now they're back on as light rain returns to Dharamsala. The toss was due to be imminent but that's looking like being pushed back somewhat.
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Toss delayed
It's a bit of a gloomy afternoon in Dharamsala but the good news is that the covers have been coming off the pitch, although the toss has been delayed by half an hour until 2pm local time.
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Welcome to Dharamsala
Hello, and welcome to our coverage of South Africa’s clash with Netherlands, two teams at opposite ends of the table at this stage of the tournament, South Africa seeking join India and New Zealand with three wins from as many games while Netherlands have lost both their matches so far. Can the Dutch side cause an upset, just as they did against these same opponents at last year’s T20 event? Firdose Moonda writes that this South African side is unburdened by history, while our match preview lays out just how strong they have been recently. There’s no doubt Netherlands will need all departments to fire if they are to do an Afghanistan today. Plenty for you to peruse while we await the toss and team news.
The Netherlands vs South Africa World Cup game is LIVE on ESPN+ in the USA.
LIVE ball-by-ball commentary of the Netherlands vs South Africa match is also available in Hindi and in Tamil.
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