NED vs NZ | Mitchell Santner’s All-Round Show Helps Kiwis Make 2-In-2 In World Cup 2023

Mitchell Santner celebrating a wicket against Netherlands (AP)

Brief Scores: New Zealand: 322-7 (50 overs) [Will Young: 70 (80), Tom Latham: 53 (46); Roelof van der Merwe 2/56 (9), Paul van Meekeren 2/59 (9)] defeated Netherlands: 223 all out (46.3 overs) [Colin Ackermann: 69 (73), Scott Edwards: 30 (27); Mitchell Santner 5/59 (10), Matt Henry 3/40 (8.3)] by 99 runs.

New Zealand outclassed the Netherlands in all aspects of their World Cup 2023 bout in Hyderabad to script their second successive win in this tournament. All-rounder Mitchell Santner entertained one-and-all with his late batting surge and his spin entanglement of the hapless Dutchmen and was fittingly adjudged as ‘Player of the Match’ for his efforts.

Top-order fires collectively as NZ mounts 322-7

Experimental number three Rachin Ravindra retained his spot in the batting line-up, as he continues to thrive in his newfound role. After his match-winning unbeaten stand with Devon Conway in the World Cup 2023 opener, he shared 77 runs for the second wicket with half-centurion Will Young.

Ravindra himself slapped a run-a-ball 51 before becoming Dutch legend Roelof van der Merwe’s second victim of the day. Daryl Mitchell and captain Tom Latham launched lusty hits in the middle overs, while Mitchell Santner unleashed his finishing fury at the death with his thunderous 17-ball 36*, including 13 runs off New Zealand’s final legal delivery of the innings.

Apart from van der Merwe, new-ball spinner Aryan Dutt and pacer Paul van Meekeren also claimed two wickets each, albeit expensively, as New Zealand mounted 322-7 from their 50 overs.

Santner snares five, rendering Ackermann’s fighting 69 in vain

Much like the Netherlands’ run-chase response against Pakistan at the same venue, their top-order crumbled upfront to hand an early advantage to their opponents for the second time in succession this tournament.

New Zealand’s new-ball paceman Matt Henry cleaned up Vikramjit Singh within the powerplay, while batting hero Mitchell Santner tore through the Netherlands middle order with a scintillating five-fer, marking only the second five-wicket haul of his ODI career.

Colin Ackermann at number three hung around for a while, but he received little assistance from the other end during his fighting 69-run knock. Rachin Ravindra also registered himself amongst the wickets column and ably assisted senior spin mate Santner in his all-out spin assault over the Dutch.

New Zealand eventually won the contest by 99 runs to chart their second successive win upfront, and the ‘Black Caps’ will now head to Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium for their subsequent World Cup 2023 challenge against Bangladesh.

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