World Cup 2023: New Zealand’s spinners were outstanding, says Tom Latham after 99-run win vs Netherlands

New Zealand captain Tom Latham has heaped praise on his spinners, saying they were outstanding against the Netherlands. New Zealand beat the Netherlands by 99 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad to register their second win in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

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Speaking after the match, Latham said he tried to be proactive with the changes, while insisting that the bowlers did a fantastic job against Netherlands. New Zealand posted 322 for 7 on the board and restricted the Dutch to 223 runs in the second innings.

“We would have bowled. We did a great job with the bat. We managed to build partnerships. Put a great score on the board and the bowlers did a fantastic job. Partnership after partnership allowed us to go into the death a little bit earlier. I tried to be proactive with the changes,” said Latham.

He went on to say that the spinners were outstanding against Netherlands, adding that they are not too far away from having a full squad available. Santner became the first New Zealand spinner to pick a five-wicket haul in ODI World Cups.

“The spinners were outstanding. Mitch got the rewards. The big boys did a good job upfront. Great to see Lockie back. Every ground you go to, it’s about adapting. We are not too far away from having the full squad available,” Latham added.

New Zealand moved to the top of the 2023 World Cup points table following their 99-run win over the Netherlands. The Kiwis have a brilliant net run rate of +1.958 thanks to a massive 9 wicket win over England in the opening match of the tournament.

With two wins under their belt, the Kiwis will turn their focus towards Bangladesh, with the two sides set to clash at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on October 13.