Proteas out for revenge against World Cup nemesis, the Netherlands

Nearly 400 years ago the Dutch owned what is now New York.

They called it — not very originally — New Amsterdam and created a trading post that focused on beaver fur, which was a popular product for the making of hats. 

Their rule of the trading post at the mouth of the Hudson River lasted about 40 years and after war with England they gave up their rights to New Amsterdam. 

Reminders of the brief Dutch colony are dotted around New York, the Hudson River being one — named after an English navigator paid by the Dutch East India Company to explore the area — and Nassau County, where eight matches in this year’s T20 World Cup are being played. 

It is named after a prominent 17th century Dutch family.

All of which doesn’t mean Saturday’s match between the Netherlands and South Africa is a home game for the Dutch.

They probably feel they don’t need that advantage because they already have a hold over the Proteas, having won the past two World Cup matches between the two sides. 

One of those, at the previous T20 world event in Australia, saw South Africa knocked out of the tournament. 

What makes them so difficult to play? “That’s a good question,” replied Heinrich Klaasen.

“They do the basics well. Like any team, the moment they get on top they become a different beast.”

Two years ago South Africa produced a dozy performance in Adelaide, coughing up a glorious opportunity to play a semifinal.

Last year in Dharamsala, the 38-run defeat in a rain interrupted clash didn’t have as profound an affect on the Proteas’ journey through that tournament, but it was nonetheless embarrassing. 

There should thus be no danger of the sort of complacency that was evident in 2022.

“It’s a big game for us. We need to get our ‘A game’ ready, so we can get one back on them,” said Klaasen.

There are five survivors from their two wins in this year’s Dutch team.

However, two players who were important to those performances, Roelof van der Merwe and Colin Ackerman, aren’t playing, having not been included in the squad.

Both chose to fulfil commitments with their English counties. 

Klaasen said while he would have liked to have faced them on Saturday, it was also a relief that he wouldn’t.

“They are still a good outfit, especially in these conditions,” he said. 

Regarding the conditions, the ICC said on Thursday pitches used for the first two matches at the Nassau County International Stadium had “not played as consistently” as it would have liked.

Sri Lanka and Ireland were dismissed for less than 100 by South Africa and India respectively. 

Though recognising the surfaces have been bowler-friendly, Klaasen said batters needed to “suck it up” and play smarter. 

“You can still hit boundaries, if we play on one of the side pitches, the one side of the field is not that big.

“It’s about winning the game. Whatever it takes to beat the Netherlands, we must do as a batting group. Hopefully our bowlers can repeat what they did against Sri Lanka and use the opportunity on those bowler-friendly wickets.”

Saturday’s match starts at 4.30pm.