England vs Netherlands: Can Defending Champions Save Some Grace?

England is ranked number 10 at the bottom with only one win from six matches and Netherlands currently is placed at eight with just two wins in their six games. 

Both the teams have disappointed their fans especially England who came into this World Cup as the defending champions.

The ability of their team does not reflect on the kind of performances they have put in. There are a lot of potential and match winners in this team who have failed to cope with the pressure of the World Cup.

The match might not be important in the context of this World Cup as both are out of the tournament but the qualification for Champions Trophy 2025 which will be played in Pakistan is at stake as ICC announced that the top-seven teams at the end of group stage exit of this world cup along with hosts Pakistan will directly qualify for it. 

It would be a slight surprise for the cricket world if England does not make it to that Champions trophy in 2025. They would have to win their remaining two games for the direct qualification to that tournament.

England vs Netherlands: Head-to-head record

England and the Netherlands have locked horns 6 times in ODI cricket and England has come out victorious every time so it clearly shows the domination of the British over the Dutch.

In World Cups, they met with each other 3 times and England has swept them there too.

The Netherlands are known for punching above its weight and every time they play a World Cup something is exciting about them to witness.

The current England team is low in confidence and it would not be a surprising thing if the Dutch manage to dominate them this time and end this losing streak. English batting seems to be in serious disarray with nobody performing at his real potential.

Probable man-of-the-match award winner

Scott Edwards

Scott Edwards can be one of the potential threats for an opposition just because of the way he bats in the middle order for the Netherlands. He is the captain and highest run scorer for the Netherlands in this World Cup. 

He already played a pivotal knock of 68 in their match against Bangladesh which ensured them victory with a margin of 87 runs. He would like to make sure that his team qualifies for the CT 2025 which needs something special from him. 

He plays spin and pace pretty well and can be a potential threat for England in the middle overs.

Jos Buttler

English captain Jos Buttler is also going through an awful form right now, nothing seems to be going his way as his numbers have been pretty mediocre in this world.

He has scored merely 104 runs in this world which is way below his standards but the England captain can not be kept quiet for very long.

He is capable enough to destroy any bowling attack on his day and this could be his day as he remained quiet throughout the tournament.

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is another red-hot guy from the English side who took back his retirement, especially for this World Cup and it has been a dismal World Cup so far for him.

The left-hander has been found wanting in these low-paced and dry wickets of India and making himself highly vulnerable. He is an absolute match-winner for his team and there is hardly any doubt on that, the way he transformed their test team speaks about the caliber he possesses.

The dominant lefty is one of the reasons why England won their 1st World Cup in 2019 so they keep a lot of hopes from him. They have to maintain their pride at this point and who else is better than him to give them something to feel happy about.

It is also said that you can not keep the pedigree of someone like Ben Stokes quiet for too long. He could be a potential danger for the opposition especially if he sets in.

Adil Rashid

Adil Rashid is another contender who could show his heroics in this upcoming contest. The nature of the pitch in Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune is low and it assists the spinners naturally.

Adil Rashid is one of the leading leg spinners around the world who is solely famous for his accurate lengths.

Leg spinners are famously known for taking breakthroughs in the middle overs and bringing their team back into the contest, having someone like the quality of Adil Rashid in the team is such a luxury.

He has so far taken 8 wickets in this tournament and surely has the marbles to dismantle any opposition on his day.  

Out of all his deliveries, his wrong one is the hardest to pick as he hardly changes his actions between a leg spin or a googly which comes quicker as well.

England vs Netherlands Match prediction

The importance of this match might be diluted in the context of this world cup but it is highly important in the qualification of CT 2025. Both of these teams must have this thing in their mind and will try their best to give a good shot on it. 

On paper England seems to be the better side in terms of impactful and match-winners but they are certainly short of confidence at this time. 

An associate team like the Netherlands can incur a surprise for them and make things interesting at the later stage of the tournament. 

England would like to finish this tournament on a high note and end this losing streak. They are a better team in comparison to their opponents but surely this is a game of confidence which they lack right now.

The previous record in the world cup and outside of the mega event  shows that England has dominated the Dutch comprehensively.

The Dutch have a lot of motivation to bring happiness to the people of their country who have cheered for them a lot and they will be giving their absolute best.

On the basis of their current form, it seems to be an even contest with a slight edge to England but surely it will not be a surprise if the Netherlands manage to get past them in style at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium, Pune.