Watch: Roelof van der Merwe bowled Temba Bavuma to continue a stunning all-round performance against South Africa, leaving them 39-2 in the powerplay of their pursuit of 246 in a rain-affected 2023 World Cup game.
He bowled the first ball to Bavuma, long and off the stumps. He held the line by leaning to the right. Bavuma was caught near the crease trying to play forward defense, but the ball went straight through the gap between his bat and pad and hit his leg stump, knocking him off the ground.
Van der Merwe was named South Africa’s captain and went wide-eyed in celebration. The blow has a double meaning for Van der Merwe, who made 26 appearances for South Africa in 2009 and 2010. He subsequently qualified for the Netherlands national team and has been representing the Netherlands since 2015.
After Bavuma’s defeat, South Africa fell from 246 wins to 44 wins and 4 losses in the chase. Van der Merwe scored again in the following over, putting Rassie van der Dussen within four points.
The Netherlands are seeking their second win against South Africa in less than 12 months, after defeating the Proteas in last year’s T20 World Cup to knock them out of the tournament. Her last win in the Men’s ODI World Cup was against Scotland in 2007, her second win in the history of the tournament.
Watch: Roelof van der Merwe bowls Temba Bavuma below
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