Netherlands vs South Africa Highlights, T20 World Cup 2024: David Miller (59*) seals a tense win for SA; NED give Proteas a scare in New York (2024)

Scott Edwards, Netherlands: "Extremely close. In a score of 110, an over can change the game. Credit to South Africa - they bowled extremely well - and the way those batted in the end. [It's about] just getting an understanding of how the wicket plays. We pride ourselves on playing good cricket over the last few years. Right until that last six, I felt we were one wicket away. It was a tough wicket to start on."

Aiden Markram, South Africa: "We knew they were always going to up for a scrap. It's a game of cricket ultimately. History before this game was obviously they beat us. It's a mental blockade... We were under pressure again today. Pretty close. If you look at 19 [12] for 4, to squeeze the win out of there is good for the team environment."

Bas de Leede to bowl his last over. And Miller finds the fence off his very first ball. Swing down the deep square leg region for SIX! Followed by a couple off the very next delivery. A dot ball follows. The equation is now down to eight needed from nine balls.

Miller at 49, and he brings up his fifty in style. Lofted over extra cover. And he closes the game off the next ball in an even better way. A swing in front of square on the on side. A SIX! Miller closes it off for SA. A four wicket win.

What a match this was! The scorecard doesn't do justice to what we've witnessed in New York today. South Africa, despite their recent history against Netherlands, had every right to feel they were the favorites as the chase began. And then, came the flying Dutchmen. One, two, three, four wickets in the powerplay. A slow build partnership ensued. But even with 27 needed off the 22 balls, the Dutch found their way back in with two wickets. And then, David Miller finally came through. He had been the Proteas hope in their previous encounter against the Dutch at the World Cup but couldn't finish the job. This time, he did. And the roar that followed showed just about how much winning this one meant for him and his team. Well played Netherlands, they surely can't be termed minnows no more at a world event. And South Africa - whisper it - may be a different South Africa at this tournament.

Logan van Beek, who took the catch of Stubbs in the last over, is up to bowl his last over. Starts off with a dot ball. But David Miller picks up the next, a length ball, with a big swing that clears the deep square leg fence for SIX!

Followed by a slower one, just a single. Jansen finds the gap down the backward point region but Tim Pringle does a fantastic job at saving two runs by the boundary. And off the next ball, van Beek cleans up Jansen off a poor swing. Keshav Maharaj is the new man in, but Miller denies him a single off the last ball. He wants to see this through himself. 88/6 after 18. 16 needed off the last two overs.

Bas de Leede to bowl the 17th over. First delivery is angled into the right-hander and Stubbs tucks it aside for a couple. The second ball, shorter in length, is met with a glory pull shot but Stubbs hasn't connected it as sweetly as he would have liked and Logan van Beek at the mid wicket fence takes the catch. One final twist in the tale, is it?

Remember, this is where the South African tale is exposed. Marco Jansen is the new man in, and he's coped a nasty blow to the body. 79/5 after 17 overs. 25 needed off the last three overs.

Miller decides to go for one. Paul van Meekeren offers him just enough width to pierce one through covers for FOUR. First boundary of the innings for South Africa, and it's taken them 50 deliveries to score that. We're all getting a different taste of the format at this T20 World Cup, that's for sure.

An extra conceded off the over. Ends the over with a dot. South Africa still well behind on the required rate. 29/4 after nine overs.

Vivian Kingma given an additional fourth over on a trot. Oh the Dutch are going all in on this one, aren't they?

David Miller decides to open his arms, slaps a shortish delivery over covers. The slow outfield prevents it from going all the way for four but Miller and Stubbs run three. Another slap shot off the last delivery but it's struck even less cleanly, just the one run. 21/4 after seven overs.

Paul van Meekeren replaces Logan van Beek from the other end.

Tristan Stubbs looks to break the shackles with a heave but is beaten with a wobble-seam delivery. The Netherlands are combining skill with the mental stranglehold they have over this particular team in ICC tournaments. 16/4 after the powerplay.

Another one bites the dust! The Dutch are on a roll out here.

Short of a length delivery from Vivian Kingma and Klaasen goes for the gung-ho pull but is caught by Tim Pringle, who takes a superb catch diving to his left, running in from the deep backward square fence. 12/4 after five overs.

Can you believe this? You have to. You must.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram survives a caught behind appeal outside the off stump, only to be caught behind off the very next delivery off a delivery down leg. Just trying to tuck it down fine leg and skipper Scott Edwards takes a superb catch diving to his left. It's 3/3, and the Dutch fans are going all crazy in the stands. New York, New York, come watch this thing called cricket.

Hold on. HOLD ON!

What were we even thinking calling 103 a straightforward total and all? Folly us. The Netherlands against South Africa are it. And they are showing us exactly why.

Logan van Beek cleans up Reeza Hendricks. South Africa lose a second wicket with just three runs on the board, and dare we say, they are very much the underdogs from here. 3/2 after two overs.

Ottniel Baartman snaps three wickets in his last over, giving away only one run. First ball: Sybrand Engelbrecht tracked back in his crease to go over extra cover but but doesn't quite find the middle of the bat and is caught by Marco Jansen. Tim Pringle then hands skipper Aiden Markram a straightforward catch at short mid-wicket. And finally, Logan van Beek - trying to go over extra cover - is caught at the fence courtesy of the slower one.

South Africa finish on a strong note. 103/9 is what the Netherlands are able to procure from their 20 overs. And from where they were midway through the innings, it doesn't seem all that bad.

Rabada to bowl his final over for the day. Goes slow and short and Sybrand Engelbrecht smacks it over the wide mid-on for SIX! Fine shot that, was executed by the batter standing on his toes.

Logan van Beek closes the over by picking the slower one, this time for four. 15 come off the over. 102/6 after 19 overs.

Marco Jansen to Sybrand Engelbrecht, dropped! Length ball that was hit back hard towards the bowler, who stuck out his left hand but couldn't hold onto the ball.

A couple of boundaries follow. Much needed at this stage for the Dutch. Short ball, pulled down deep backward square leg by Engelbrecht for four. Then, another short ball, another pull, this time executed by Logan van Beek - top edged and the keeper is unable to stop it down the fine leg fence. 80/6 after 17 overs.

Skipper Scott Edwards is the new man in for the Dutch, and straightaway goes down to execute a reverse sweep, he loves playing those sweep shots doesn't he.

In fact, in the Dutch triumph against the same side last year, Edwards had laced quite a few of those. (RECAP)

Today though, he isn't able to play as many. A reverse lap shot off Nortje sails down the third man fence for SIX! But then, a run out at the non-striker's end and the Dutch skipper has to walk back.

Nortje wraps up the over with another short and quick delivery to snap his second. Teja Nidamanuru departs for a golden duck. Netherlands are 48/6.

Nortje continues, and he strikes!

A short one does the trick again. Too awkward a bounce for Bas de Leede to handle and the ball splices off the fend to David Miller at backward point. Fourth wicket for the Proteas!

Among the pacers who wreaked havoc, Keshav Maharaj also got the job done, and snapped wickets for South Africa in their opener.

On he comes to bowl his first of the day. Slightly better over for Dutch. 32/3 after nine overs.

Nortje time!

The prime protagonist of South Africa's win in their tournament opener is brought into the attack, and keeps with the policy of economical bowling. Another three run over and you can almost smell another wicket. Any time now. 26/3 after eight overs.

Ottniel Baartman into the attack, makes an instant impact, as he did in his World Cup debut vs Sri Lanka.

Seams one slightly away from the right-hander and Max O'Dowd nicks it behind, Marco Jansen at first slip takes a brilliant one-handed catch diving to his left. 15/2 after four overs.

First three deliveries, Jansen keeps pitching the ball farther away from the batter. A fuller one to start with, pitched up on the legs. Then, a short of a length delivery - inside edged onto the pads. The one after it is banged full on short and gives away the first runs of the day to the Dutch.

Jansen pivots to the angular advantage he holds and seams one away from the right-hander but doesn't realize what's happened. Not many in the Proteas shirts do, except Quinton de Kock who's held onto the ball and immediately thrown it skywards in jubilation. Levitt seems to have edged it. Umpire doesn't give anything and South Africa go upstairs. Almost forced to by de Kock. And they're rewarded for it. First wicket falls, just what South Africa wanted: 1/1 after first over.

A lovely atmosphere around the Nassau County Stadium in New York following the two national anthems. Just the kind of revving one needs ahead of a World Cup clash.

It's time for the main course. Marco Jansen has been handed the new ball. On strike is right-handed Michael Levitt. Good match up on offer.

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max ODowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards(w/c), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma

South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman

Aiden Markram: We're going to bowl. Seeing a few games on this wicket, ideally want to have a first crack on it. The wicket looks slightly different to be honest. But overall, not expecting it to be a belter. We've seen in the WC alone, can't take any team lightly. It's a big game for us. Same team.

Scott Edwards: Yes it's probably something that comes up (record against SA). We take a lot of confidence from the games we have won against similar guys. We played a pretty good game the other day. Our bowlers were awesome and the batters got it done. Same side.

Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma

South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman

Max O'Dowd, Netherlands: "It probably comes down to consistency; consistency in games, consistency in the way we play, the way we train and always just trying to get better. As cliche as it sounds, that's what it's really all about. Our aim is to become - from where we are now, a good team - a great team. There's many little things that we need to do, whether that's fitness, whether that's extra fielding, extra batting, whatever it looks like. It's just about putting in the work."

Heinrich Klaasen, South Africa: "The moment they get on top of you they become a difficult beast. When other teams are on top, it's difficult to come back. A team like the Netherlands, when they do the basics right, they do it so well they keep squeezing you. It's not easy to shift the momentum against them."

Riding on outstanding spells from Fazalhaq Farooqi (4/17), Rashid Khan (4/17) and Mohammad Nabi (2/16), Afghanistan thrashed New Zealand by 84 runs to register their first-ever win over the Blackcaps.

Glenn Phillips (18) and Matt Henry (12) remained the only two Kiwis, who crossed the double figures. If it was Farooqi, who started the mayhem with the new ball, picking up three wickets in the powerplay, then it was Rashid and Nabi, who weaved their magic against a clueless and rusty New Zealand to help Afghanistan register an emphatic triumph. (HIGHLIGHTS HERE)

Last year in Dharamsala, Netherlands pulled off one of the biggest upsets in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup history, as they brought down the high-flying South Africa.

Overseeing the result was coach Ryan Cook, who did not have the greatest of starts for his stint. But after initial turbulence, things steadied.

For Cook, it all started in 2013, when he travelled to India as an assistant coach of the South Africa U-19 team. He wrote to Kirsten, trying to understand the conditions in India. “He wrote me a big mail. Explained all the venues, and conditions beautifully. There was a very minute detail in it,” Cook had toldThe Indian Express ahead of their World Cup campaign. (Read Pratyush Raj's chat with the Dutch head coach)

Virat Kohli is yet to play a single game in Pakistan. The only time he played there was in 2006 with India’s U-19 side. India stopped its cricketing ties with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai attacks and Kohli has featured in just a handful of internationals against them — 16 ODIs and 10 T20Is. Despite that, Virat Kohli has a massive fan following in Pakistan.

“The day Virat plays in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi or in Multan, only then you guys will understand his craze in Pakistan,” former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali tellsThe Indian Express. (READ Pratyush Raj's feature on the man who will be at the centre of the big game on Sunday)

Unusual protagonists have entered a T20 narrative; pitch, uneven bounce, seam, swing, fast bowlers, rib cage. It is as though India and Pakistan are resuming their Test ties in New York this Sunday, when they meet in the showpiece game of the World Cup. Only that the arch rivals are locked in peculiar circ*mstances, something the T20 world has seldom come across.

At the heart of the intrigue are the drop-in pitches that have been far from ideal for a T20 game or a tournament that is seen as cricket’s grand pitch to enter the US market. Largely untested because of the delay in laying them – thanks to the organisational ineptitude of the ICC and USA cricket board – they have been dangerously unpredictable so far. (READ Sandip G's analysis of the pitch that's been the talk of the cricket town this summer)

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje,Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs

Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Ryan Klein, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi. Travelling reserve: Ryan Klein.

The ball bounced and seamed. It also stopped and skidded. Neither Sri Lankan nor South African batsmen came to terms with the drop-in surface, but the Proteas eventually got past the 78-run target in the 17th over.

Among the usual South African names that starred – like Marco Jansen who bowled a hellish first over where the ball kicked past the bat a few times, Anrich Nortje who hassled with pace and bounce allying them with his yorkers, and a steady Rabada who didn’t have to extend himself much but hit varied lengths – it was Baartman who sparkled in his first two overs. (READ Sriram Veera's report)

Adelaide, 2022: Netherlands knocked South Africa out of the T20 World Cup with a stunning 13-run win as the Proteas yet again chocked in a big ICC tournament, on Sunday. Netherlands dished out a collective batting effort to post a decent 158 for four after being invited to bat and then restricted the Proteas to 145 for eight for their biggest victory in world cricket. It was Dutch side’s first win against South Africa across any format. (HIGHLIGHTS)

Dharamsala, 2023: The Dutch stunned the Proteas by 38 runs in a truncated ICC World Cup match on Tuesday at Dharamsala. Batting first, the Dutch had scored 245 for eight. The match began late owing to inclement weather, and when the game finally started, it was reduced to a 43-over-a-side contest. (HIGHLIGHTS)

Again? Netherlands take on South Africa for a third in a row at a World Cup. And if the last two are anything to take into account - rhetoric - it's got to be South Africa who ask: why? Netherlands have emerged victorious in T20 (2022) and ODI (2023) world tournaments and the Proteas have a point to prove. Both teams began their tournament on a winning note in what has been touted as the group of death. While South Africa bested Sri Lanka on 'that' New York wicket in a low-scoring encounter while the Dutch prevailed against Nepal in Dallas.

Can Scott Edwards and Co pull it off again? Or is it about time we don't surprise ourselves with that question and a possible outcome off it? Hold that in the heads as we take you through this one.