HYDERABAD: New Zealand skipper Tom Latham heaped praise on spinners who managed to keep the tides in their favour against the Netherlands in the ongoing World Cup.
With two consecutive victories in their kitty, the Kiwis have established themselves as one of the hottest prospects in this World Cup.
The Blackcaps managed to clinch a 99-run victory over the Dutch on Monday.Latham admitted that he would also have preferred to bowl if the toss fell in their favour.
He went on to praise the spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra for keeping things tight for them throughout their spells.
“Spinners were outstanding and the big boys did a great job up front and squeezed them. Great to see him (Lockie Ferguson) back,” Latham said after the match.
“I think we did a great job with the bat, built partnerships and put up a great score. Any time in the middle is valuable, partnership after partnership allowed us put good runs on the board. (fifth bowling option Ravindra) the guys have bowled beautifully, we made sure they don’t bowl too many overs and I was proactive with the changes. It’s about adapting as quickly as possible and acclimatize to the weather (in Chennai),” Latham added.
Coming to the match, Netherlands lost wickets at regular intervals with Mitchell Santner leading the charge with the ball. His bewitching spell made it hard for the Dutch batters to survive on the pitch.
Except for Colin Ackermann the rest of the batters found it hard to extend their stay on the pitch. Matt Henry drew the first blood by dismissing Vikramjit Singh for 12. Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra took charge with the ball to put the Kiwis in the driver’s seat.
With wickets falling on the other end, Ackermann still went on with his business and struck a 69 off 73 balls before losing his wicket to Santner.
Skipper Scott Edwards and Sybrand Engelbrecht tried to push the Netherlands towards victory, but Santner broke the partnership to ensure the momentum stayed in their favour.
He combined with Henry to end Netherlands’ innings for a score of 223 and walk out with a 99-run victory. Santner was the pick of the bowlers as he clinched a five-wicket haul with a figure of 5-59. (ANI)