Orange is the new black as Proteas suffer shock Dutch defeat

And just like that, the Proteas can go back under the radar at this year’s World Cup.

It will probably take a few days for that to happen, because the rest of the tournament will want to digest this second shock result of the competition. 

Just two days after Afghanistan spun a web around England, the Proteas twisted themselves into a series of knots as they crumbled to a 38-run defeat against the Netherlands at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday.

Having come into the tournament with few backing their chances, Temba Bavuma’s men earned a pair of big wins against Sri Lanka and Australia that quickly thrust them into the spotlight. 

Based on this showing, however, they appear to prefer the shadows. 

For all the Dutch side’s energy and verve, inspired unsurprisingly by Roelof van der Merwe, this was a South African performance that smacked of complacency and with the ball was simply ill-disciplined, particularly in the last 10 overs. 

Up to that point they had controlled a match that was delayed for two hours by rain and reduced to 43 overs a side. The Netherlands were 140/7 at the end of the 34th over, but from that point South Africa strayed from the plans that had worked with the ball, and sought to intimidate the Dutch lower order. 

It failed dismally, with a series of short balls and unnecessary off-pace deliveries easily picked off by Dutch captain Scott Edwards, Van der Merwe and the No. 10 batter Aryan Dutt. Those three contributed 104 runs in the last 9.1 overs, with Van der Merwe’s intensity, in how he swung hard at the ball, but also ran between the wickets, rubbing off on Edwards as the Dutch finished on 245/8. 

The Netherlands captain top scored with an unbeaten 78 off 69 balls that saw him hit 10 fours and a six, while Van der Merwe’s 29 off 19 balls changed the course of the innings and ultimately the match.

The pair shared a partnership of 64 off only 37 balls for the eighth wicket. Dutt’s nine-ball 23, also included three sixes, coming at a stage in the innings when South Africa completely lost control.

The Proteas conceded 32 extras — 21 of those wides, the second highest contributor to the Dutch total — and before the clash against England on Saturday there will be serious questions asked internally about that alarming lack of discipline from the seam bowlers.

The momentum the Dutch had created with the bat at the end of the innings, continued with the ball, where their intelligent use of spin with the new ball confused the South African openers. 

Taking pace off the ball meant Quinton de Kock and Bavuma had to generate their own energy and the South African captain in particular, found batting difficult. 

Just as it looked like they had settled De Kock, a century-maker in both of South Africa’s wins to start the tournament, gloved an attempted sweep and was caught by wicketkeeper Edwards. 

That was the start of a brutal top order collapse in which the Proteas lost four wickets for eight runs, going from 36/0 to 44/4 in 21 balls. In that period Van der Merwe picked up the wickets of Bavuma — with his first ball, that slid between the Proteas captain’s bat and pad, knocking over his middle stump — and Van der Dussen, who played an ill-judged reverse sweep.

Aiden Markram’s off stump was knocked back by a lovely in-ducker from Paul van Meerkeren. Markram was one of four Proteas batters who had their stumps disturbed a clear illustration of the Dutch’s greater discipline and control of line and length — basics that all bowlers supposedly adhere to but one the Proteas didn’t.

Van der Merwe was one of three Dutch bowlers to pick up two wickets, while Logan van Beek picked up 3/60 as SA were bowled out for 207 in the final over.

It was the Netherlands third win in the 50-over World Cup, and given the others were against Namibia (2003) and Scotland (2007), there’s no doubt it was their best. 

It’s also the second time they have beaten the Proteas at an ICC event, after their victory in Adelaide last year that knocked South Africa out of the T20 World Cup. 

This loss doesn’t have such a consequential outcome. There is still a lot of time left in the competition, but this defeat will damage the Proteas’ psyche and the age-old questions that had started to fade into the background last week, will be front and centre once more.