South Africa defeated the Netherlands by four wickets in the 16th match of the T20 World Cup 2024, held at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Saturday.
David Miller played a pivotal role for the Proteas, guiding them to victory when they were on the brink of another loss to the Netherlands in ICC events. Chasing a target of 104 runs, South Africa faced a disastrous start with their top order crumbling to 12-4 in just 2.3 overs, thanks to the Dutch bowlers’ aggressive performance.
Early dismissals included Reeza Hendricks (3 off 10), Quinton de Kock (0), Aiden Markram (0), and Heinrich Klaasen (4 off 7), putting South Africa in a precarious position.
However, a vital partnership between Tristan Stubbs and Miller, adding 65 runs, revived the Proteas’ innings. Stubbs was eventually dismissed by Bas de Leede in the 17th over, followed shortly by Marco Jansen. Despite the falling wickets, Miller’s unbeaten 59 runs led South Africa to a hard-fought victory.
In the first innings, the Proteas’ bowlers set the tone, with Marco Jansen dismissing Dutch opener Michael Levitt on the third ball. South Africa’s bowlers continued to dominate, reducing the Netherlands to 48-6 in 11.5 overs. A critical 54-run partnership between Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek helped the Netherlands surpass the 100-run mark.
The partnership was ended by Ottniel Baartman in the final over, leaving the Netherlands at 103-9 in 20 overs. Baartman was the standout bowler with four wickets, while Jansen and Anrich Nortje each claimed two.
South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision that proved effective in New York.
