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[Saba Sports News] England secured their second victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 by defeating the Netherlands with a convincing margin of 160 runs on Wednesday, November 08, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association International Stadium in Pune.
Opting to bat first, England posted an imposing total of 339/9 in their allotted 50 overs. In response, the Netherlands had a tough start, losing two quick wickets, Max O’Dowd (5 off 11) and Colin Ackerman (0 off 2), with only 12 runs on the board. Despite efforts from Wesley Barresi (37 off 62) and Sybrand Engelbrecht (33 off 49) to stabilize the innings, they couldn’t capitalize on their starts. Captain Scott Edwards (38 off 42) and Teja Nidamanuru (41* off 34) contributed useful knocks, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory for their team.
As a result, the Netherlands were dismissed for 179 runs, falling short by 160 runs, with Moeen Ali (3/42, 8.2 overs) and Adil Rashid (3/54, 8 overs) each taking three wickets for England.
Earlier in the match, England’s opening pair, Jonny Bairstow (15 off 17) and Dawid Malan (87 off 74), provided a solid start, adding 48 runs for the first wicket in 42 balls.
However, the partnership was broken when Bairstow was dismissed, bringing Joe Root to the crease. Malan and Root combined for an 85-run partnership for the second wicket in 80 balls, helping England cross the 100-run mark.
In the middle overs, England faced a setback as Root (28 off 35), Malan, Harry Brook (11 off 16), Jos Buttler (5 off 11), and Moeen Ali (4 off 15) all fell within a span of 15 overs, leaving England at 192/6. Faced with this challenge, Ben Stokes (108 off 84) and Chris Woakes (51 off 45) teamed up for a remarkable 129-run partnership for the sixth wicket in just 80 balls, enabling England to post a total of 339/9 in their allotted 50 overs. Bas de Leede was the standout bowler for the Netherlands, finishing with figures of 3/74 in ten overs, while Aryan Dutt (2/67) and Logan van Beek (2/88) took two wickets each.