Twitter Reactions: South Africa one win away from qualifying for ODI World Cup 2023 after defeating Netherlands in first ODI
Sisanda Magala was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for his brilliant performance of 3/37.
South Africa played brilliant cricket in a must-win match against Netherlands to pick up an eight-wicket win and with that, the Temba Bavuma-led side is still in contention to earn their direct qualification for the upcoming ODI World Cup. When it comes to the visiting side, they are already out of the race and linger at the bottom of the ODI Super League points table. Netherlands will play the qualifiers scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe later in the year.
Coming to the match, Netherlands were asked to bat first at Benoni's Willowmoore Park. Opener Vikramjit Singh started well but unfortunately, wickets kept falling continuously at the other end. The 20-year-old too got out after scoring 45 off 53, leaving Netherlands stranded in big trouble. However, Teja Nidamanuru came to the rescue and hit 48 off 71 deliveries to bail out the team from a difficult situation but in the end, the Dutch side could post only 189 runs on the board.
Notably, Sisanda Magala was sensational with the ball for the Proteas. Despite playing with a small injury, the speedster picked up three crucial wickets to destroy Netherlands’ batting unit. On the other hand, Tabraiz Shamsi too picked up three wickets while Anrich Nortje claimed two.
Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma wreaked havoc while chasing. The skipper led by example, scoring 90* off 79 deliveries while Aiden Markram supported him well in the middle with 51* off 39 deliveries. Batting at number three, Rassie van der Dussen hit 31 off 41 deliveries as South Africa chased the total down in 30 overs.
Despite this big win, the management will be concerned about Quinton de Kock’s form at the moment. The stumper-batter has failed to live up to his potential in the last few matches which is a massive reason to worry about since the ODI World Cup is just a few months away. Nevertheless, they will now focus on the next match as a win will guarantee their participation in the marquee event.
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