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 to the Netherlands 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 performance by SA that smacked of complacency and with the ball it 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 SA went away 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 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.

Alarming lack

The Netherlands captain top scored with an unbeaten 78 off 69 balls, in which he 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 SA 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 SA openers.

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

Just as it looked as if they had settled De Kock, a century maker in both SA’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.

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 SA out of the T20 World Cup.