New Delhi: The defending champions, England, will be going up against the high-spirited Netherlands on Wednesday, in match number 40 of the ICC World Cup 2023 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.
The match will have little to no effect on the later stages of the World Cup, however, it is going to be a very important match if we put the Champions Trophy 2025 qualification into the scenario.
Both Netherlands and England are at the bottom of the table, after securing the ninth and tenth spots, respectively.
A loss on Wednesday will eventually result in the team getting eliminated from the Champions Trophy qualification.
While the defending champions are looking for redemption, the Dutchmen would leave no stone unturned to register another upset! 💪🏻
Who is winning this? 👀
Tune-in to #ENGvNED in the #WorldCupOnStar
Today, 12.30 PM onwards | Star Sports Network#CWC23 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/dWo0Mjxpw3— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 8, 2023
Journey so far
Both England and Netherlands started their campaign with a loss, and except for two successes in the middle of the tournament, they have exactly identical tournaments.
The defending champions, England, have their worst run in the World Cup’s history so far as they have lost 6 of their 7 games, and are currently on a 5-match losing streak.
They started their campaign with a 9-wicket loss to New Zealand but came back stronger with a 137-run victory over the Bangladeshi Tigers, but everything went downhill from that point in time.
The defending champions lost 5 games in a row to Afghanistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India and Australia by 69 runs, 229 runs, 8 wickets, 100 runs and 33 runs, respectively, which resulted in them being the second team to be eliminated from the top 4 race.
“I think my own form has been something that’s probably the most frustrating thing. Obviously, I’ve had a pivotal position in the batting lineup, so to play as poorly as I have done has had a big effect on the team”. – Jos Buttler#Josbuttler #ENGvNED #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/it3YXsfqfx
— रोहित जुगलान Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) November 8, 2023
England still has two more games to play, and if they manage to win both games, they will be able to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Unlike, the defending champions England, the Dutch side is still not eliminated mathematically.
They started their journey with back-to-back losses against Pakistan and New Zealand by 81 and 99 runs, respectively, but came back strong by defeating South Africa by 38 runs, but again lost two back-to-back games against Sri Lanka and Australia by 5 wickets and 309 runs, respectively.
They again registered a record 87 runs win against Bangladesh, followed by a 7-wicket loss against Afghanistan.
GAMEDAY! 🇳🇱 vs 🏴
It’s a big day for the Dutch as they go head-to-head against England in the #CWC23 and as there is Champions Trophy Qualification on the line.
Team Lineups and Toss news to come right here. #ENGvNED
📆 8th November
⏰ 10:30am CEST
🏟️ Maharashtra… pic.twitter.com/4JhXBKjeH3— Netherlands Cricket Insider (@KNCBInsider) November 8, 2023
The Netherlands have never qualified for the Champions Trophy before. A win on Wednesday might be their ticket to add one more achievement under their name.
Head-to-head records
In head-to-head competition, both the teams have taken the field against each other 6 times, and the English side has emerged victorious in all the instances. They are yet to meet in a World Cup match.
Interestingly, the highest score of ODI cricket 498, which is under England’s name, came against the Dutch side.
Top performers
England
Batsman: Dawid Malan- 286 runs
Bowler: Adil Rashid- 10 wickets
Netherlands:
