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Roelof van der Merwe:Biography

Roelof van der Merwe

Roelof van der Merwe is a cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands and domestically for Durham County Cricket Club in England. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He has also played for Somerset and Leicestershire in English county cricket, and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Southern Brave in T20 franchise cricket. He is known for his batting skills, bowling variations, and leadership qualities.

Early Life and Family

Roelof van der Merwe was born on December 31, 1984, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He grew up in a cricket-loving family and started playing the game at the age of seven. His father, Adriaan van Meekeren, is a former cricketer who played for VRA Amsterdam and coached the Netherlands Under-15 team. His mother, Marianne van Meekeren, is a teacher and a cricket enthusiast. He has a younger sister, Anna van Meekeren, who is also a cricketer and plays for the Netherlands women's team.

Personal Life

Roelof van der Merwe is unmarried and lives in Bristol, England. He is fluent in Dutch, English, and Afrikaans. He holds a bachelor's degree in sports management from Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. He is also a qualified cricket coach and has worked as a player-coach at Kampong Cricket Club in Utrecht. He enjoys travelling, cycling, and playing golf in his spare time.

Early Cricket Career

Roelof van der Merwe started playing cricket at VRA Amsterdam, where his father was his coach and mentor. He represented the Netherlands at various age-group levels and was part of the squad that played in the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Australia. He made his first-class debut for the Netherlands against Scotland in the 2013 ICC Intercontinental Cup and took four wickets in the match. He also made his List A debut for the Netherlands against Kenya in the 2013 World Cricket League Championship and took two wickets.

International Debut

Roelof van der Merwe made his One Day International (ODI) debut for the Netherlands against South Africa at Amstelveen on May 31, 2013. He bowled four overs and took the wicket of Hashim Amla as the Netherlands lost by 84 runs. He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for the Netherlands against Kenya at Windhoek on April 20, 2013. He bowled three overs and took one wicket as the Netherlands won by seven wickets.

ODI Career

Roelof van der Merwe has played eight ODIs for the Netherlands until October 2023, scoring 228 runs at an average of 32.57 and a strike rate of 83.21. He has hit two half-centuries with a highest score of 81. He has also bowled 312 balls and taken six wickets at an average of 42.66 and an economy rate of 5.63. His best bowling figures are 2/39.

T20I Career

Roelof van der Merwe has played 22 T20Is for the Netherlands until November 2022, scoring 465 runs at an average of 25.83 and a strike rate of 131.42. He has hit one half-century with a highest score of 62. He has also bowled 210 balls and taken seven wickets at an average of 30.85 and an economy rate of 7.71. His best bowling figures are 4/11.

Test Career

Roelof van der Merwe has not played any Test matches for the Netherlands as they do not have Test status.

Records and Achievements

  • He is the first person to take a seven-wicket haul in a Twenty20 cricket match, doing so with figures of 7 for 18 for Leicestershire against the Birmingham Bears in the 2019 t20 Blast.
  • He is the joint second-highest wicket-taker of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 with seven wickets at an average of 9.28.
  • He is the third-highest run-scorer for the Netherlands in T20Is with 465 runs.

Awards and Honors

  • He was named the player of the match once in T20Is, for his spell of 4/11 against Ireland at Dharamsala on March 13, 2016.
  • He was named in the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Month for March 2016 for taking seven wickets at an average of 9.28 in four matches.
  • He was named Domestic Players' Player of the Season at Cricket South Africa's annual awards in May 2017.

Captaincy Stints

Roelof van der Merwe has captained Leicestershire in all formats from 2020 to 2022.

Controversies

Roelof van der Merwe has not been involved in any major controversies in his cricket career.

Conclusion

Roelof van der Merwe is a cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands and domestically for Durham County Cricket Club in England. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He has also played for Somerset and Leicestershire in English county cricket, and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Southern Brave in T20 franchise cricket. He is known for his batting skills, bowling variations, and leadership qualities. He has achieved several records and accolades for his performances and is one of the most promising players for the Netherlands.

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