Skipper Santner leads the New Zealand team to the T20 victory against Dutch
Skipper Santner leads the New Zealand team: Mitchell Santner managed a career-high 77 runs off just 42 deliveries. He led his team to a victory over the Netherlands at Voorburg. The other batsman who shone was Daryl Mitchell. He scored 51 runs off of 27 deliveries. He displayed a 123-run third-wicket stand. Despite Bas de Leede who scored his second consecutive half-century, the Dutch made 147 for 7. The reason was poor PowerPlay. The outstanding death bowling was from New Zealand.
With just 147 runs, the hosts were not able to assist themselves in the field. The three receptions were already placed down in the chase. The tourists got the advantage in the PowerPlay early on. This did put the Netherlands at a disadvantage. Max O’Dowd got out in the opening over. Blair Tickner had Vikram Singh out (caught). He got caught out by Santner coming across from mid-off. As the field widened, the hosts got limited to a score of 37 for 2.
Stephan Myburgh left the crease. He got out by Neesham at deep midwicket off Santner on 24. But he rode his luck for the next delivery. He held out to deep square off Bracewell in the next over. In the middle overs, De Leede and Tom Cooper led the Dutch back into the game. Cooper made a fifty-run partnership by scooping Neesham over fine leg. He went on to uppercut over gully while scoring primarily from behind the wicket.
Cooper drove Ish Sodhi through cover after helping the hosts past the hundred-mark. But he lofted the upcoming delivery toward deep extra cover. Moreover, Cooper went back for 26 off 17 in the 14th over. Mitchell pulled off a great catch.
De Leede got the support of Scott Edwards. But as the game entered its final stages, both batters failed to produce boundaries. Edwards and De Leede failed to find any late acceleration. Ben Sears allowed only three runs in the 17th over. De Leede moved to fifty and drove Tickner sharply through cover for four. This took place in the penultimate over after finally afforded space to release his arms. The next over saw Edwards finally reverse-scooping Sears for six over fine leg. Overall the New Zealand team did a great job of maintaining control of the innings.
The 147/4 of the hosts looked woefully inadequate. The Dutch failed to help themselves at the outset. The miserly first over of Clayton Floyd was undone in the following. Finn Allen faced the first ball, thrown low and full by Logan van Beek, for six. And Tim Pringle faced the following one. He was drawn straight to a deep square, from the rope.
The wickets helped little to stop the scoring. De Leede managed to pin Allen with his first ball. Pringle made up for his earlier dismissal. He removed Martin Guptill off stump. Mitchell Santner climbed up to position three. He scored fifty runs in just 29 balls. He effectively put the game to rest. Santner got into trouble when Pringle dropped a leading edge in the ninth over. That would have got Santner caught and bowled on 43. The rate was less than one run per ball with 96/2 in 10 overs. The hosts’ only option was to try and postpone what would happen next.
They did not have to wait very long. Santner was saved once more on 56. But he failed to learn his lesson and kept his search on for the rope. In the 13th over, he discovered two more limits from van Beek. But an insufficient area stood for a debut century.
Mitchell didn’t let this opportunity go to reach a significant milestone. He knocked Ryan Klien for back-to-back sixes down the ground. Mitchell blasted the final pitch of the 14th over midwicket for four. This move secured his fifty and the game. With the victory, New Zealand came to an end to their European tour with a perfect 11-0 record. The New Zealand team sealed the series 2-0.
“We played a lot better today,” – Santner’s statement after the match.
“The pitch also played a lot better. And the intent we showed throughout the innings was outstanding.”
Brief scores:
Netherlands 147/4 in 20 overs
Bas de Leede – 53
M Bracewell 2-20
New Zealand 149/2 in 14 overs
Mitchell Santner 77
Daryl Mitchell 51
Bas de Leede 1-13
New Zealand won the series knocking the Netherlands team by 8 wickets.