Students of the history of the US will know that the Dutch used to run things round these parts, with the Dutch colonial period still evident in several place names in the New York area, including Nassau County, host of the New York matches in this World Cup.

And for a short while at the start of the South African run chase, it looked like the Dutch were controlling things in New York again as Vivian Kingma and Logan van Beek got on top of the South Africans and got the Netherlands into a position where they could have pulled off a third consecutive win over South Africa at a World Cup.

Put into bat on the by now infamous Nassau County International Cricket Stadium drop in pitch, the Netherlands struggled for runs but did at least manage to bat out their overs, scoring 103-9. Sybrand Engelbrecht had their only score of note with 40 from 45 balls. Ottneil Baartman was the pick of the South African bowlers with 4-11.

And then came the remarkable start to the chase from a Dutch perspective. Quinton de Kock was run out without facing after being sent back on the first ball of the innings, Reeza Hendricks was bowled by Logan van Beek the next over, Aiden Makram was caught behind off Vivian Kingma in the third over, who then had Heinrich Klassen caught in the deep at backward square leg in the fifth over.

South Africa were 12-4 and it looked like there was a chance of a third win by an associate member over a full member team in as many days. However Tristan Stubbs - a Dutch passport holder who averaged over 100 playing in the Topklasse in 2021 and at one point was thought of as a potential recruit for the Dutch - along with David Miller destroyed Dutch hopes.

A 65 run partnership between the pair got South Africa back into the game with Stubbs falling for 33 in the 17th over after Paul van Meekeren had turned up the pressure with a maiden over in the 16th. Logan van Beek bowled Marco Jansen in the next over, but Miller finished the game off with 18 in the 19th over, winning the game with a six to secure a four wicket win.

South Africa stay in Nassau County for a game against Bangladesh on Monday, whilst the Netherlands travel to the Caribbean - St Vincent to be precise - for their next game on Thursday, which will also be against the Bangladeshis.