Teams Status
New Zealand
Despite missing a dozen of their first-choice players, New Zealand had no problem routing Netherlands in the opening ODI.
Such was the gulf in class that even debutant Blair Tickner had a field day. In fact, he was New Zealand’s best bowler and finished with a four-for in his very first ODI.
After dismissing the Dutch at 202, Will Young, himself playing only his third ODI, got to work and smashed a century while Henry Nicholls contributed 57.
It was the Kiwis’ first ODI in more than a year, and such a big gap – some had thought – would have made them rusty. There were no such problems. Expect more of the same in the next game and the rest of the series.
New Zealand are 11th in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League standings, while Netherlands languish in the last place.
Netherlands
As it happens for most small teams against big teams. Netherlands’ top order failed and that meant that the Dutch had no solid foundation to base the latter part of their innings on.
By the 13th over they were 45 for 5 and the debate was if they would even get to a 100. But then Michael Rippon (67) and captain Pieter Seelar (43) rescued them and got them started towards a much more respectable 202.
In the second innings, their bowlers started well and even got an early breakthrough when Logan van Beek had the experienced Martin Guptill caught behind. However, from that point on it was all Kiwis as the Dutch accepted their fate.
For the Dutch to do better in the series, it’s pretty obvious that their top order batters will have to do better.
Comments 0 Comments