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Roelof van der Merwe

Roelof van der Merwe is a Dutch-South African all-rounder who was born on December 31, 1984, in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a right-handed batter and a left-arm orthodox bowler, who has played for both the Netherlands and previously for South Africa in international cricket. He continues to be an active player, with recent matches played for the Netherlands in June and July 2025. 

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Full Name
Roelof Erasmus van der Merwe
Nicknames
The Bulldog, Roela, Terminator
Date Of Birth
December 31, 1984
Place Of Birth
Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
Country
Netherlands
Role
All-Rounder
Batting Style
Right hand Bat
Bowling Style
Slow Left arm Orthodox
Born
31 December 1984
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Stats

Match Format Date Runs BF 4s 6s SR
Lions vs Titans · Final List A March 29, 2026 4 6 0 0 66.67
United States of America vs Netherlands · 21st Match, Group A T20I February 13, 2026 10 11 0 0 90.91
Pakistan vs Netherlands · 1st Match, Group A T20I February 7, 2026 4 9 0 0 44.44
Netherlands vs Zimbabwe · Match 5 T20 February 3, 2026 7 8 1 0 87.50
Western Province vs Titans · Match 13 T20 November 9, 2025 35 23 3 1 152.17
Boland vs Titans · Match 9 T20 November 6, 2025 7 4 0 1 175.00

Major Teams Represented

  • International: Netherlands (2015–present), South Africa (2009–2011)
  • Franchise/County/Domestic: Titans (South Africa), Somerset (England), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (IPL), Delhi Capitals (IPL), Brisbane Heat (BBL), St Lucia Zouks (CPL), Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SA20), London Spirit (The Hundred), Dubai Capitals (ILT20)

International Debuts For Netherlands

Date Match Opponent Teams
July 3, 2015 T20I debut Nepal Netherlands vs Nepal
June 19, 2019 ODI debut Zimbabwe Netherlands vs Zimbabwe

International Career

  • Netherlands: Represents the Netherlands internationally after obtaining a Dutch passport in 2015.
  • South Africa: Previously represented South Africa in 13 ODIs and 13 T20Is between 2009 and 2011.

International Statistics (as Of Feb 2026)

  • T20 Internationals (Netherlands): 71 Matches, 575 Runs (Avg: 21.29), 75 Wickets (Avg: 19.74)
  • One Day Internationals (Netherlands): 39 Matches, 278 Runs (Avg: 13.90), 45 Wickets (Avg: 34.37)
  • Highest T20I Score: 75*
  • Best T20I Bowling: 4/35

Significant Records And Awards

  • Dual International: 5th cricketer to represent two countries in T20Is
  • Longevity: Represented two countries in ODIs (12th player) and has a long-standing career
  • Top Wicket-Taker: Finished as the leading wicket-taker for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the inaugural SA20 season (2023).
  • Awards: Named Player of the Year, MTN Domestic Championship Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year in SA domestic cricket (2007-08).
  • Milestone: Scored 165* (List A) for Somerset in 2017.
  • Fielding: Known for taking high-pressure catches, including a notable catch in the 2022 T20 World Cup that knocked out South Africa.

Champions (trophy)

  • SA20 (2023): Sunrisers Eastern Cape
  • TN Domestic Championship & Standard Bank Pro20 (2007-08): Titans 

Career Notes

Van der Merwe has been a stalwart for the Netherlands since 2015, using his experience from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and English County Cricket (Somerset) to stabilize the Dutch middle order and provide crucial left-arm spin breakthroughs.