On a slow Hyderabad surface, Scott Edwards opted to field and opened bowling with off-spinner Aryan Dutt. Between them, Dutt (2-62) and Ryan Klein began with three maiden overs – something that has happened only once before in World Cup history.

However, New Zealand took off after that, racing to 63-0 in 10 overs. Once Devon Conway (32) fell, Will Young (70) and Rachin Ravindra (51 in 51 balls) added 77.

Paul van Meekeren (2-59) and Roelof van der Merwe (2-56) kept striking for the Dutch side, and while Daryl Mitchell (48 in 47 balls) and stand-in captain Tom Latham (53 in 46) got quick runs, neither played that explosive innings that would take New Zealand to 350.

That came towards the end, from Mitchell Santner who, aided by a no-ball and a free hit, blasted his way to a 17-ball 36 with three fours and two sixes to take New Zealand to 322-7.

In response, Netherlands were 117-3 at one point. The target, 206 in 147 balls with seven wickets in hand, was certainly not improbable. But barring Colin Ackermann (69 in 73 balls), no one managed to go past 30.

Matt Henry claimed 3-40, but the star of the show was Santner, who finished with 5-59, the first five-wicket haul by a New Zealand spinner in World Cup history. In fact, barring Daniel Vettori (4-23 against Ireland, Providence 2007 and 4-18 against Afghanistan, Napier 2015), no New Zealand spinner has taken even four wickets in an innings in the tournament.

Both Ireland and Afghanistan were Associate Nations during Vettori’s spells. The best World Cup figures by a New Zealand spinner against a Full Member are still Nathan McCullum’s 3-24 in the famous quarter-final against South Africa at Mirpur in 2011.

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