WELLINGTON – March 22 (ONLINE) New Zealand’s opening batsman Martin Guptill has said he doesn’t want to “take Netherlands lightly” as the Dutch side will be playing against Kiwis after a gap of 25 years.
After a gap 25 years, New Zealand will face the Netherlands in an ODI and eight years after last competing against them in any format, when the two teams clash in a one-off T20I and three ODIs in New Zealand, starting March 25.
“Geez, it was quite a while ago,” Guptill said, while talking to a cricket website.
“I think it was years ago that we last played against the Netherlands. The last time we played in the [2014] T20 World Cup, it was a close game. We know a few guys from their side. [Logan] van Beek played for Wellington [Firebird], Max O’Dawd played for Otago [Sparks] and Fred Klaasen as well, he played club cricket here last year, and I was able to face a bit of them in the nets during the Super Smash last summer,” Guptill added.
The attacking Kiwi batter said “We can’t take them lightly. They have been here now, played a couple of warm-up games and are well acclimatised here. So, once we get a couple of training sessions under the belt, we will be able to get out and [we are] raring to go.”
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