Unthinkable Dutch upset puts World Cup on knife's edge

2 years ago 90

The T20 World Cup is connected a weapon borderline aft the Netherlands pulled disconnected 1 of cricket's top upsets implicit South Africa.

Having travel into their last excavation lucifer arsenic steadfast favourites, South Africa flunked a seemingly straightforward triumph and present find themselves astatine hazard of bombing retired of the tourney altogether.

The Netherlands batted archetypal and ended up 4/158 astatine the extremity of their 20 overs, led by Colin Ackermann who scored an unbeaten 41 not out.

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What followed was a catastrophic crumbling by South Africa, who steadily mislaid players earlier a flurry of wickets near them 13 runs shy astatine the extremity of their allotted overs astatine 8/145.

The lucifer included 1 of the catches of the tourney by Roelof van der Merwe erstwhile David Miller skyed a shot towards point.

It marked the archetypal triumph for the Netherlands implicit South Africa successful immoderate format of cricket.

"Look astatine the absorption connected the field," said erstwhile Black Caps wicketkeeper turned commentator Ian Smith.

"They're coming from each implicit the place. There is truthful overmuch emotion connected the faces of the Dutch fans and their players. They can't rather judge what they person conscionable achieved.

"Staggering successful satellite cricket, 1 of the biggest upsets successful satellite athletics for a agelong time.

"Amazing scenes. So overmuch emotion, truthful overmuch expectation, and erstwhile again astatine 1 of the last hurdles, South Africa has fallen short."

It was a lucifer worthy of a sold-out stadium, but the tiny contingent of Dutch fans and the aboriginal fans from Pakistan up of their lucifer with Bangladesh enjoyed a rip-roaring finish.

Against each odds, Pakistan is simply a accidental of making it done to the semi-finals.

Had South Africa won, the lucifer betwixt Pakistan and Bangladesh would person been a dormant rubber.

However, a triumph implicit The Tigers volition spot them through.

It would beryllium an bonzer communicative aft their constrictive defeats to India successful their opening excavation lucifer and aboriginal to Zimbabwe.

In immoderate case, it ensures India tops their table.

For Tongan-born, Australian-raised Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards, it was a infinitesimal to savour but 1 hard to comprehend.

"I'm a small spot mislaid for words," helium said.

"It went truthful fast. It's going to instrumentality a small spot of clip to instrumentality it each in.

"It's decidedly up there. It's conscionable different experience, different large upset from the Netherlands successful a World Cup.

"Just stoked for the boys, the team, and the supporters backmost astatine home."

Pending the results of the remaining excavation matches, the Netherlands tin warrant themselves qualification for the adjacent T20 World Cup if they upwind up fourth.

Two excavation matches stay successful the tournament, the archetypal betwixt Pakistan and Bangladesh and past India against Zimbabwe.

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