ENG vs NED: Dead rubber game between England and Netherlands sees little to no crowd in Pune

In Match 40 of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, the contest features the bottom two teams in the points table, with the Netherlands ranked 9th and England at 10th place. While the Dutch side still holds a mathematical chance of securing a spot in the semifinals, England, with no chance of advancing, is aiming to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Despite the match being essentially a dead rubber, it seems that fans have chosen not to tune in, whether at the stadium or online. As of the time of writing this article, online viewership on Disney+ Hotstar was only 23,000, and the stadium appeared sparsely populated. While some might attribute this to it being a weekday, other matches still managed to draw a moderate crowd, especially when India was not playing.

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Several fans took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their observations about the lack of crowd at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

Regarding the match itself, 39 overs had been bowled, and the English side had posted 207 runs while losing six wickets. England has a perfect record against the Netherlands in ODIs, winning all six of their previous encounters. 

However, the Netherlands has had its moments, including a dramatic last-ball win over England in the opening match of the 2009 T20 World Cup at Lord's and a 45-run victory at the 2014 edition in Bangladesh.