After the wonders of the batsmen, with the magic of Mitchell Santner’s spin, New Zealand registered its second consecutive win by defeating Netherlands by 99 runs in its second match of the World Cup. While chasing New Zealand’s target of 323 runs, Netherlands team was all out for 223 runs in 46.3 overs.
For Netherlands, only Colin Ackerman (68) was able to bat steadily. Apart from him, only captain Scott Edwards (30) could touch the 30-run mark. Santner was the most successful bowler for New Zealand, taking five wickets for 59 runs.
Matt Henry also supported him well and took three wickets for 40 runs. New Zealand scored 322 runs for seven wickets with half-centuries from opener Will Young, captain Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra. The team set a good platform with the 77-run partnership for the second wicket between Young (70 runs in 80 balls) and Ravindra (51 runs in 51 balls).
Captain Latham played an important role in taking the team’s score beyond 300 runs by playing an innings of 53 runs in 46 balls. While chasing the target, Netherlands lost wickets at regular intervals and the team never looked to be in a position to get close to the target. Vikramjeet Singh (12) and Max O’Dowd (16) made a cautious start but Henry broke the partnership by bowling Vikramjeet in the sixth over.
Captain Latham handed the ball to Santner in the ninth over and he trapped O’Dowd LBW in his second over. Bas de Leede (18) hit two fours on Lockie Ferguson as soon as he came, while Santner’s ball also hit the boundary, but spin bowler Ravindra got him caught by Boult, taking the team’s score to 67 runs for three wickets.
Ackerman and Teja Nidamanuru took over the innings by adding 50 runs for the fourth wicket. Teja hit two fours on Ravindra while Ackerman hit the first six of the innings on Santner. He also hit a four in the same over of Santner. Netherlands’ century of runs was completed in the 22nd over.
This partnership broke due to Teja being run out. He scored 21 runs in 26 balls. Ackerman completed his half-century in 55 balls with four fours on Henry but after this he was caught by Henry at third man on Santner’s ball. Facing 73 balls, he hit five fours.
Captain Edwards hit a six and a four on Santner on consecutive balls but after one ball he was caught back by the same spinner. After this, Santner also sent experienced Roelof van der Merwe (01) to the pavilion. Netherlands needed 127 runs in the last 10 overs and the team could not even come close to this score.
Santner took the fifth wicket by LBW Ryan Klein (08). Earlier, the Netherlands bowlers also impressed with their bowling on a slow pitch. At the very beginning of the innings, the Netherlands bowlers bowled three consecutive maiden overs to the New Zealand openers.
Young opened New Zealand’s account by hitting two fours off Ryan Klein in the fourth over. Devon Conway (32) hit a six over long on off spinner Aryan Dutt, who opened the bowling with Klein. However, Conway, in an attempt to increase the run rate, got caught by Bas de Leede off the ball of left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe (2 wickets for 56 runs), which ended the 67-run partnership for the first wicket.
Ravindra and Young, who scored centuries in the first match against England, then took over the innings. New Zealand’s batsmen looked in good form but Netherlands’ bowlers were also successful in controlling the run rate. However, after completing half-centuries, Young and Ravindra became the victims of Paul Van Meekeren (2 wickets for 59 runs) and Van der Merwe respectively.
While Young tried to pull Van Meekeren’s ball, Bas de Leede was caught while Ravindra was caught by wicketkeeper Scott Edwards. Latham and Daryl Mitchell (48 runs in 47 balls) increased the run pace by adding 53 runs for the fourth wicket.
When Latham returned to the pavilion as the seventh batsman after completing his half-century after being stumped by Dutt’s ball, the team’s score was 293 runs in the 49th over. Mitchell Santner played an unbeaten inning of 36 runs in 17 balls, due to which New Zealand was successful in adding 50 runs in the last three overs.
