New Zealand left-arm orthodox spinner, Mitchell Santner, on Wednesday, achieved a 100 ODI wickets landmark during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan, here at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Heading into the match, Santner was just one scalp away from reaching the milestone of 100 wickets in ODI cricket. He finished with a figure of 3 for 39 in 7.4 overs, becoming the leading wicket-taker (14) in ODI World Cup 2023.
Bowling in his 98th match, the 31-year-old took the wicket of Mohammad Nabi after trapping him round the wicket to complete his 100th ODI wicket and become just the second Black Caps spinner to reach 100 ODI dismissals, following in the footsteps of fellow spinner Daniel Vettori.
In 93 ODI innings, Santner has claimed 102 wickets with an average of 36.04 and an economy of 4.85.
On the match front, New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 149-run, thanks to half-centuries from Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips followed by an impressive bowling display from Santner and Lockie Ferguson.
Batting first, New Zealand were in a spot of trouble at 110/4 after three quick wickets derailed a solid start. But Glenn Phillips (71) and Tom Latham (68) stitched 144-run stand and helped New Zealand up to a challenging total of 288-6, aided by some sloppy fielding from Afghanistan.
In reply, Afghanistan were restricted to 139 in 34.4 overs as New Zealand’s pace bowlers got among the wickets, with Santner also starring both with the ball and in the field.
