Beaten finalists of 2019, New Zealand face Netherlands in search of another win in the 2023 ODI World Cup as the two sides meet in Hyderabad on Monday, October 9. The Blackcaps will hope to maintain the momentum they garnered from their triumphant match against England, a victory that served as retribution for their 2019 ODI World Cup final defeat.
During the first match of the World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad, New Zealand's top-order batters, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra delivered stellar performances. Both hit centuries, propelling the Blackcaps to a resounding nine-wicket victory with 82 deliveries remaining. Tasked with a target of 283, Conway crafted a splendid 152 off 121 balls, featuring 19 boundaries and three sixes, while Ravindra contributed 123 from 96 deliveries, inclusive of 11 fours and five sixes.
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Contrastingly, the Netherlands faced a setback against Pakistan, even though they showcased resilience. They demonstrated commendable skill in segments but fell short by 81 runs. Bas de Leede emerged as the standout player for the Dutch, clinching a four-wicket haul and subsequently scoring a fifty during their chase.
Remarkably, the 23-year-old set a record by becoming the first player to achieve the dual feat of taking four or more wickets and scoring a half-century in back-to-back ODIs in the game's over fifty-year history.
With a tough game in hand for the Dutchmen, skipper Scott Edwards won the toss and chose to bowl first.
New Zealand's Playing XI
Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w/c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Netherlands' Playing XI
Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards(w/c), Sybrand Engelbrecht, Roelof van der Merwe, Ryan Klein, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
What the captains said
Speaking at the toss, Tom Latham revealed that he would have wanted to bowl first as well, "We would’ve had a bowl, looks a decent surface. We played a practice game on this wicket last week so happy to put up runs on the board. Was a fantastic performance last game, the bowlers did a fantastic job upfront and then Devon and Rachin came out there and played brilliantly."
Edwards chose to bowl first and justified his reasoning for the same, "Were going to have a bowl first, from the last game it seemed like bowling conditions were better earlier in the day and no real dew factor. Were in a good place. Two changes, Sybrand Engelbrecht and Ryan Klein come in for us.
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