NZ vs NED prediction: Who will win the 1st ODI?

New Zealand and the Netherlands will lock horns in the first game of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday, March 29. The Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui will host the encounter.

The Netherlands, led by Pieter Seelaar, haven’t had the best of campaigns in ODIs in 2022. Back in January, they faced Hashmatullah Shahidi’s Afghanistan in a three-match series in Qatar. The Dutch team lost all three matches, having failed to chase down targets.

Scott Edwards was the leading run-scorer for the Netherlands, with half-centuries in all three matches. The right-hander notched 208 runs from three matches at an average of 69.33 and a strike-rate of 75.36, with a top score of 86.

Colin Ackermann scored 81 in one of the games, but failed to deliver in the other two matches. Despite his valiant efforts, the Netherlands failed to secure a single win. Fred Klaasen and Brandon Glover were the top wicket-takers with four scalps each.

New Zealand, led by Tom Latham, haven’t played ODI cricket for over a year. They last locked horns with Tamim Iqbal’s Bangladesh in a home series, which they won 3-0. They were also scheduled to play Pakistan back in September 2021 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

But the Kiwis pulled out of the series after citing ‘security concerns’. Meanwhile, the New Zealand cricketers, who are playing in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), won’t be a part of the upcoming 50-over series.

New Zealand’s form in limited-overs cricket has been decent. Back in November, they became the runners-up in the T20 World Cup in Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Thereafter, Rohit Sharma’s India defeated them 3-0 in a bilateral series.

Mark Chapman, meanwhile, has tested positive for COVID-19 after the team’s arrival from Napier. George Worker has been called up to replace him. The onus will now be on Martin Guptill, who is among the leading run-scorers, albeit in T20Is.

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Will New Zealand (NZ) beat Netherlands (NED)?

New Zealand v Netherlands T20 Series Media Opportunity (Image courtesy: Getty Images)

New Zealand will go into the series with most of their fringe players as some of their big names are busy taking part in the IPL. But the hosts will still be the favorites to win the next game since Netherlands haven’t had the best of times in ODI cricket.

Prediction: New Zealand to win the match.