Roelof van der Merwe

Roelof van der Merwe
Nationality: Netherlands
Position: Allrounder
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Slow Left Arm Orthodox
Date of Birth: 1984-12-31 Age: 41
Bio
Career Stats
Fixtures
Teams

Roelof Erasmus van der Merwe, born on December 31, 1984, is a professional cricket player hailing from the Netherlands.
Known for his tidy left-arm spin bowling and hard-hitting batting, he is one of the few cricketers to have represented two international teams during his career.

Van der Merwe initially showcased his cricketing skills on the world stage in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, where he represented South Africa.
Following his impressive performances at the junior level, he made his domestic debut in 2006 for Northerns, marking the beginning of his professional career.

The left-arm spinner quickly made an impact in franchise cricket, playing for the Titans during the 2007-08 season.
He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the MTN Domestic Championship and contributed significantly with the bat, playing a crucial role in the team's victories in the championship and the Standard Bank Pro20 Series.
Van der Merwe's impressive performances earned him several player-of-the-year titles, highlighting his immense talent.

In 2009, van der Merwe made his debut for the South African national team in a T20I match against Australia.
He made an immediate impact, scoring a quickfire 48 runs and taking 1 wicket for 30 runs.
His outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
Over the course of a year, he represented South Africa in a total of 26 games, split evenly between ODIs and T20Is, before deciding to end his international career with them.

Following his departure from the South African team, van der Merwe acquired a Dutch passport and began representing the Netherlands in 2015.
He made a strong start in T20Is for his new team, consistently taking two wickets per game in each of his first four matches.

Van der Merwe's cricketing journey took him around the world as he became a sought-after player in various T20 competitions.
He participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils, as well as in England's T20 Blast with Somerset, while continuing to play for the Titans.

In June 2019, van der Merwe played a crucial role in a game against Zimbabwe, where he displayed his batting prowess by scoring an unbeaten 75 runs.
He further showcased his skills with the ball, taking 4 wickets for 35 runs.
However, despite his exceptional performance, Zimbabwe emerged victorious in the eliminator after the match ended in a tie.

As he entered his late thirties, van der Merwe focused primarily on his bowling skills as his batting became less consistent.
At the T20 World Cup in 2022, representing the Netherlands, he made a remarkable high catch off David Miller's bat, which contributed significantly to his team's memorable victory.
This win knocked his former team, South Africa, out of the tournament before the semi-finals.

Van der Merwe's enduring career was affirmed when he finished as the leading wicket-taker for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the inaugural SA20 tournament in early 2023.

Roelof van der Merwe's cricketing journey has been defined by his ability to adapt to different teams and make significant contributions both as a left-arm spinner and a hard-hitting batsman.
His impressive performances on the field have solidified his status as a respected and influential player in international cricket.

Batting Stats

Format Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100s 50s 6s 4s
T10 16 8 5 46 21 5.75 29 158.62 0 0 2 5
T20I 35 29 13 332 75 11.45 268 123.88 0 2 8 27
ODI 32 28 5 384 57 13.71 428 89.72 0 1 9 24
T20 88 64 26 632 48 9.88 497 127.16 0 0 19 46
4day 18 26 2 535 88 20.58 806 66.38 0 4 15 54
100-Ball 12 12 9 133 30 11.08 99 134.34 0 0 3 12

Bowling Stats

Format Mat Inns Wkts Runs Overs Ave Econ Wide NoBall 4w 5w 10w
T10 22 17 7 293 23.4 41.86 12.52 4 0 0 0 0
T20I 41 41 38 847 127.1 22.29 6.66 10 0 1 0 0
ODI 37 37 41 1395 285.5 34.02 4.89 18 3 0 0 0
T20 117 111 111 2516 335.6 22.67 7.50 37 2 5 2 0
4day 15 18 27 727 251.8 26.93 2.89 1 1 3 1 0
100-Ball 17 17 13 415 37.3 31.92 11.13 16 1 0 0 0

Last updated: 2026-02-18

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