Wisden
Wills World Cup, Group B

HOLLAND v NEW ZEALAND

At Baroda, February 17. New Zealand won by 119 runs. Toss: New Zealand. International debuts: Holland (all).

Holland were comprehensively beaten on their first senior appearance, but played with winning determination and enthusiasm. Their opponents, New Zealand, were not all strangers: Astle had played for Dutch club VOC and Germon had coached in Holland. In fact Astle, a century-maker against England, was one of the few New Zealand batsmen not to contribute - he was run out in the second over. Spearman and Fleming erased any anxiety with 116 in the next 19, until Spearman, having scored 68 from 59 balls, gave Zuiderent a skied catch off Lubbers's fifth delivery; Fleming fell the same way soon afterwards. A steady run-rate of six an over was one Holland could hardly hope to match. Their West Indian opener, Clarke, the oldest man in the tournament at 47, went early, but his Australian partner, Cantrell, batted for 30 overs; he and Lefebvre, who had played first-class cricket in England and New Zealand, were the top scorers. Van Noortwijk's 36 not out suggested promise for the future, but the seamers had no difficulty keeping the total below four an over.

Man of the Match: C. M. Spearman.

© John Wisden & Co