CWC 2023: Five-star Santner bowls New Zealand to big win over Netherlands

After posting an imposing total of 322/7 on the back of Will Young's measured 70-run knock and half-centuries from Rachin Ravindra (51) and Tom Latham (53), Santner ran through the Netherlands batting order to skittle them for 223 runs in 46.3 overs

Hyderabad: Mitchell Santner, with his left-arm spin, proved too hot to handle for the Dutch side as New Zealand thrashed them by 99 runs to record their second successive victory in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, on Monday.

After posting an imposing total of 322/7 on the back of Will Young’s measured 70-run knock and half-centuries from Rachin Ravindra (51) and Tom Latham (53), Santner ran through the Netherlands batting order to skittle them for 223 runs in 46.3 overs. Santner also recorded first five-wicket haul (5/59) in ODIs at this venue. Matt Henry scalped three wickets for 40.

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The Dutch side never really looked threatening. Barring Colin Ackermann’s 69-run knock, none of the batters showed any stomach for the fight. The fact that there was only one 50-run partnership in their innings shows the lack of experience in their ranks.

The first match half-centurions Vikramjit Singh (12), Bas de Leede (18) and opener Max O’Dowd (16) were back in the pavilion inside 17 overs for 67 which meant the Netherlands were deep in trouble. Ackermann waged a losing battle adding 50 runs with Teja Nidamanuru and 40 runs with captain Scott Edwards for the fifth wicket but his dismissal in the 33rd over off Santner left their chase in tatters.

Santner, who first dismissed O’Dowd and Ackermann, hit the final nail in the coffin dismissing Edwards (30) and Roelof van der Merwe in successive overs and trapped Ryan Klein as his fifth victim in the day.

Earlier, asked to bat first, New Zealand openers Young and Devon Conway took 19 deliveries to score first runs of the innings. Young hit Ryan Klein for a couple of boundaries in the fourth over to open the scoring while Conway lofted spinner Aryna Dutt for a boundary and a six next over.

The openers added 67 runs before Roelof van der Merwe provided the first breakthrough dismissing Conway (32) in the 13th over. In-form Ravindra joined hands with Young and led the partnership. Young brought his half-century in 59 balls and added 74 runs with Ravindra before being dismissed by van der Merwe.

Daryl Mitchell and Ravindra adapted aggressive approach scoring runs at will. Ravindra reached his fifty but was caught behind in the same over of van der Merwe in the 33rd over. Captain Latham smashed de Leede for a hat-trick of boundaries in the innings’ 36th over to take his side past 200. Both 53 runs before Mitchell (48) was bowled by van Meekeren. Netherlands tried to stage a comeback with De Leede accounting for Phillips (4) and Dutt dismissing Mark Chapman cheaply. Latham too was dismissed after his half-century but Santner’s 17-ball 36, including 21 runs in the final over, provided a perfect finish for the Kiwis.