World Cup 2023: Scott Edwards breaks Kapil Dev's record in Netherlands' win over South Africa

Netherlands followed in Afghanistan’s footsteps to stun a giant of cricket when they beat South Africa at Dharamsala on Tuesday. Associate members Netherlands clinched a 38-run win in a rain curtailed match.

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The significance of the win and the magnitude of the achievements grows multiple times considering the precarious position Netherlands were in with the bat. After Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to field, Netherlands were reduced to 50/4 and then 141/7 in 34 overs. Rain’s arrival reduced the contest to 43 overs a side.

Scott Edwards shifted gears amid this carnage with Roelof van der Merwe also providing support with some meaty blows. They read every ball beautifully and every variation, slower-short-ball stuff, perfectly. Edwards was rewarded for his efforts with a fifty. Van der Merwe, though, got out after scoring 29 runs from 19 balls.

Aryan Dutt joined the skipper Edwards in the middle to try and get to a giant total. Dutt slammed three sixes to play the perfect cameo with 23 runs from 9 balls. Edwards, meanwhile, remained unbeaten on 78 from 69 balls with 10 fours and a six to his name.

Came in at 82/5 and saw the team through to 245/8 with a record equalling 14th ODI half-century.

Just Captain Edwards thing! #SAvsNED #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/VhOqTKDxJ1

— CricketNetherlands (@KNCBcricket) October 17, 2023

Edwards’ 78-not out is the highest score by a captain batting at No. 7 or lower in World Cup history. In the process, the Dutch skipper surpassed former India captain Kapil Dev’s 36-year-old record when he blasted 72* against New Zealand in the 1987 World Cup. Overall, the record belongs to Nathan Coulter-Nile who smashed a 60-ball-92 versus the West Indies in 2019.

Highest scores by captains batting at No. 7 or lower in World Cup

78* – Scott Edwards (NED vs SA), 2023

72* – Kapil Dev (IND vs NZ), 1987

72* – Heath Streak (ZIM vs NZ), 2003

68 – Dasun Shanaka (SL vs SA), 2023

Netherlands’ surge at the end, 104 runs from nine overs, took them to 245 runs for a fighting total. As it turned out, it also proved to be a decisive difference between the two teams with South Africa falling short and being dismissed for 207 runs.

Other stats:

From the Nati dance to welcome us to the cheers in the stadium at the fall of the final wicket in the match, Dharamsala was absolutely special. #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/RvuIRwmYMQ

— CricketNetherlands (@KNCBcricket) October 17, 2023

# South Africa’s loss to Netherlands is their first to an Associate nation in ODI cricket. Their only other defeat to an Associate member in men’s international cricket was also to Netherlands at last year’s T20 World Cup

# Netherlands’ triumph is their first ODI win against a Full Member nation other than beating Zimbabwe and Ireland. They had also tied against the West Indies in World Cup qualifiers and gone on to beat them in a Super Over

# Netherlands have now won only three matches from 23 in World Cup matches. Their previous wins had come against fellow Associate teams – Namibia (2003) and Scotland (2007)

# Netherlands added 105 runs after the fall of the seventh wicket, the second-most by them from that position in men’s ODIs

# Aryan Dutt hit three sixes during his nine-ball 23 run knock. It is the joint-most while batting at No. 10 or lower in ODI World Cups. Shoaib Akhtar and Daren Powell also struck three sixes. Akhtar against England in 2003 while batting at No. 11 and Powell at No. 10 against South Africa in 2007

# South Africa gifted Netherlands the edge with 32 extra runs. These are the most extras conceded by South Africa in an ODI World Cup match, surpassing 29 against UAE in 2015

# South Africa have a 33% success rate (or 0.5 win-loss ratio) when batting second in ODIs since 2021. In 15 matches, they have won and lost 10. It is third lowest among teams to have batted second ten or more times in that period. Only Papua New Guinea (0.2) and Netherlands (0.33) have it worse.