New Zealand maintained their incredible form by defeating the Netherlands by 99 runs in the sixth match of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Monday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India.
After defeating England in the World Cup opener, the Black Caps defeated the Dutch in a one-sided contest thanks to Mitchell Santner’s masterclass with both the ball and the bat.
The Dutch were off to a bad start in their chase of 323 runs, as their openers — Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd — failed to give their side a significant start.
However, experienced middle-order batsman Colin Ackermann provided his side with a much-needed breakthrough by scoring 69 off 73 balls, but his heroics were in vain as the Dutch continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and were soon all-out for 223 runs.
Scott Edwards, the captain and wicketkeeper-batter for his team, was the second highest scorer with 30 runs.
Santner took the first five-wicket haul of the World Cup, taking five for 59 in ten overs, while Matt Henry took three and Rachin Ravindra took one.
Batting first, New Zealand’s top five batters — Devon Conway, Will Young, Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, and skipper Tom Latham — all contributed significant runs and put their team in a commanding position.
However, the Kiwis lost two wickets in quick succession in the last ten overs, but Santner’s late strikes led the Black Caps to 322 runs in 50 overs.
The 31-year-old scored 36 runs off 17 deliveries, including five boundaries.
New Zealand will now play Bangladesh on the spinning wickets of Chennai on October 13, while the Netherlands will face South Africa on October 17 in Dharamshala.
Playing XIs in Action
New Zealand:
- Devon Conway
- Will Young
- Rachin Ravindra
- Daryl Mitchell
- Tom Latham (c & wk)
- Glenn Phillips
- Mark Chapman
- Mitchell Santner
- Matt Henry
- Lockie Ferguson
- Trent Boult
Netherlands:
- Vikramjit Singh
- Max ODowd
- Colin Ackermann
- Bas de Leede
- Teja Nidamanuru
- Scott Edwards (c & wk)
- Sybrand Engelbrecht
- Roelof van der Merwe
- Ryan Klein
- Aryan Dutt
- Paul van Meekeren
To read our blog on “PAK beat NED in their first WC’s match with an 81-runs win,” click here