The Netherlands won the toss and chose to bowl first in their ODI World Cup clash against New Zealand, and the decision to do so was well justified by the bowlers, who broke a previous bowling record against New Zealand held by India, and equalled a record currently held by South Africa.
The Dutchmen opened the bowling with spinner Aryan Dutt, who was bowling to Devon Conway, the hero against England with his unbeaten 152. From the other end came medium pacer Ryan Klein, who also kept the pressure on Will Young, making his two consecutive maiden overs for the Netherlands.
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This has happened with New Zealand only one other time, during the infamous semifinal vs India in the 2019 ODI World Cup. Back then, the bowlers for India were Bhuvneshwar Kumar and then Jasprit Bumrah.
Aryan Dutt was once again in the headlines for the Netherlands, bagging a second-straight maiden to equal South Africa's record of three straight maidens against New Zealand in 2013.
The main orchestrator was 20-year-old spinner Aryan Dutt. What makes his achievement all the more impressive is his ability to restrict the in-form Devon Conway from scoring any runs in the first two overs that he faced in this match.
Who is Aryan Dutt?
Born in the Netherlands to a father hailing from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India, Dutt's family settled in the Netherlands during the 1980s. His passion for cricket ignited at nine, significantly inspired by India's victory in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Dutt commenced his cricketing education in the Netherlands and, by 13, honed his skills further in Chandigarh, India.
In May 2021, Dutt earned a spot in the Netherlands A team for their series against Ireland Wolves, making his List A debut on 12 May 2021. That same month, he was selected for the Dutch ODI team for their series against Scotland, marking his ODI debut on 19 May 2021. In an impressive feat in June 2022, during the ODI series against the West Indies, Dutt dismissed captain Nicholas Pooran in all three matches of the series, restricting him to under 10 runs in each encounter.
The tough bowling was also a testament to the ability to play into the pressure for Conway and especially Will Young, who was dismissed for a golden duck in the previous game against England. The duo broke the maiden streak with a boundary on the first duck of the fourth over, and soon, the duo have completed their 50-run-partnership and were 63-0 in 10 overs.
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