New Zealand and the Netherlands faced each other in the ICC World Cup 2023. The match was played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad as the Netherlands won the toss and decided to take the field first. These games are important for prominent candidates because this will allow them to gain a competitive edge moving further in the tournament. It was not a bad toss to lose because New Zealand played the way every expert, fan, and spectator expected.
For the Netherlands, there was only one thing that went in their favour. This one thing was winning the toss. Devon Conway and Will Young took the guard, and the duo was quick to find better ways to score maximum runs in the powerplay. New Zealand shattered the bowling attack by scoring 63 runs in the first 10 overs without losing a wicket. Conway was the first one to fall, he scored 32 runs in 40 balls with the help of 5 boundaries and a six before giving a catch to Bas De Leede on Van Der Merwe’s delivery. It was 67 for 1 when Rachin Ravindra joined Will Young. The duo batted very well and made a partnership of 77 runs.
Will Young was then caught by Bas De Leede on Van Meekeren’s delivery. He scored as many as 70 runs in 80 balls with the help of 7 fours and 2 sixes before getting out. Daryl Mitchell then came out to bat at number 4 but just when the partnership started building, Rachin was caught by Edwards on Van Der Merwe’s delivery. Tom Latham, the wicket-keeper batsman and the skipper joined Mitchell in the middle. The duo kept the scoreboard ticking. With a decent bowling display from the Netherlands, they managed to restrict the dangerous batting unit at 322, the credit for crossing the paramount goes to Santner as well. He scored an unbeaten 36 in just 17 balls with the help of 3 boundaries and 2 sixes.
Netherlands had to chase down an enormous target of 323 but apart from Ackermann, no other batsman managed to find the rhythm. Vikramjit Singh and Max ODowd got out on 12 and 16 runs respectively. Bas De Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Edwards (Skipper), and Sybrand Engelbrecht scored 18, 21, 30, and 29 each. New Zealand’s bowling unit didn’t give a single chance to the opposition team to stay in the game.
The Netherlands got bowled out for just 223, and the credit for finishing the game a bit early goes to the Kiwi’s bowling unit. Matt Henry took 3 wickets by conceding just 40 runs in his 8.3 overs. On the other hand, Mitchell Santner took a fifer by giving just 59 runs in his 10 overs.
Mitchell Santner changed the course of the game by first hitting big shots in his 36 runs and then taking a fifer. This exceptional performance made him the suitable candidate to be named as Man of the Match as New Zealand won the game by a big margin of 99 runs.
Also Recommended: New Zealand vs Netherlands full scorecard
