| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Mohali: The Netherlands skipper Peter Borren won the toss and decided to field first against South Africa in a Group B ICC World Cup match at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali on Thursday.
Netherlands captain Borren put the Proteas in to bat after overnight rain in Mohali. The pitch is expected to offer pace and bounce and be helpful for the seam bowlers.
Graeme Smith's Proteas, playing only their second World Cup match, wouldn't take the match lightly especially after watching Ireland's upset win over England on Wednesday.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, have already lost two games - one after giving a spirited fight to England and the other after meekly surrendering to the West Indies.
Netherlands picked the same team that lost heavily to West Indies on Monday as it aims to recover from that 215-run loss. Netherlands have also lost five of its last six ODIs
In the Proteas' seven-wicket crushing win over the West Indies in their World Cup opener, Pakistan-born leg-spinner Tahir took four wickets for 41 and off-break bowler Johan Botha claimed two for 48 and though left-arm orthodox Peterson went wicket-less, he made significant impact.
The seven-day break between the two games helped the Proteas address injury concerns to their key players Steyn, Tahir and JP Duminy as they were all declared fit for the game and included in the team after recovering from illness or injury.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Morne van Wyk is in for off-spinner Johan Botha.
For the Netherlands, it would take a massive effort to register a win especially after their dismal show against the Caribbean side in New Delhi.
The 'Oranje brigade', which has been struggling with poor bowling from the very first game of the tournament, failed with even the bat against the Windies.
They were bundled out for a mere 115 runs with the hero of the opening match - centurion Ryan ten Doeschate - also not being able to put up a good show.
Nevertheless, the team will heavily bank on the South Africa-born Ten Doeschate, who is expected to leave behind the last game's disappointment and come good with both the bat and ball again.
Tom Cooper, who scored 47 in the first match and fought a lone battle against West Indies to remain unbeaten on 55 in the next, is also a crucial cog in the Dutch scheme of things.
Even the statistics are against the Dutch, who lost to South Africa in the two previous encounters, both at the World Cup - a 160-run defeat in 1996 and a 221-run loss in 2007.
But with the Netherlands having the reputation of springing surprises, and cricket being an unpredictable game, anything out of script in this battle of two most mismatched sides in world cricket would make it an extremely interesting encounter.
