AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla Wipe out Utterly, Butterly Delicious from Amul's Netherland

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South Africa are certainly preparing themselves for the contest against England on Sunday by getting the perfect match practice against Netherlands in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Group B match in Mohali.

ab laughs v ned
ab laughs v ned

There were few takers for the match but that did not bother South Africa too much who went about their business in clinical fashion. Once again, South Africa enjoyed the rich vein of form of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers to stun the Dutch team into submission.

The dismissals of South African captain, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, made little difference as Amla was once again smooth (like melted butter in a direct reference to the fact that the Netherlands are sporting their Amul sponsors) while AB de Villiers has been simply delicious in his shot selection and execution.

If nothing can be faulted about Amla's style and technique, one can only continue to be amazed at AB's rapid rise in the game, as an eligible wicket keeper to add to his batting role to become one of the pivotal batsmen in South Africa who can not only play a long innings but fulfill the role of a dynamic finisher as well, witnessed in how he played three boundaries in succession after he pulled off three sixes in a row, to give the Dutch team that deja vu feeling when Herschelle Gibbs made merry.

Amla's 113 were overshadowed by AB's 134 runs off only ninety-eight balls. With JP Duminy playing a Twenty20-like innings with a fifteen-ball forty run innings, South Africa were in cruise mode at 351 for five at the half stage of the match.

In response, Netherlands struggled to cope with the demands and the strength of the opposition and in the end, turned into easy pickings for the team from the African continent. The resistance began and ended with Wesley Barresi who top scored with forty-four. Imran Tahir had yet another successful outing since his debut for South Africa, which was also his World Cup debut, picking up three wickets after Kallis and Robin Peterson began the slide.

120 in only thirty-five overs was simply not good enough from Netherlands as South Africa head into the match super confident on the back of 231 run victory over Netherlands, England can't say the same thing about their match after their shock defeat to Ireland.

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