The Netherlands as yet have few happy memories of touring New Zealand, the site of their ODI nadir when they lost their status at the 2014 World Cup Qualifier and were relegated to the second division of the World Cricket League. They will be hoping to make some new ones when they face a somewhat ad-hoc New Zealand side in a one-off T20 at Napier on Friday (March 25), followed by three CWC Super League ODIs at Mount Maunganui and Hamilton, having fought their way back up the Associate ladder to claim the sole Associate berth in the ICC's top flight competition.
NETHERLANDS TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND, 2022
Depleted Dutch look to test NZ bench-strength in Taylor's swansong series
The teams will first play a one-off T20I before the ODIs. © Getty
The teams have never previously played a bilateral series, with the Covid pandemic putting paid to New Zealand's planned T20 stopover in the Netherlands two years ago, and indeed have met in 50-over cricket only once before, fully a quarter century ago in the Netherlands' first ever recognised One Day International at the 1996 World Cup. New Zealand won that match comfortably, posting a then-remarkable 307-8 before restricting the Dutch to 188-7, though their sole T20I encounter at the 2014 WT20 was rather more competitive, Brendon McCullum making the Dutch regret dropping him early and hitting a match-winning 65 to take New Zealand to a 6-wicket win.
Neither team will be at full strength, with New Zealand
