Fast fielding and hard spin bowling by the Netherlands restricted New Zealand to 148-7 in the Black Caps’ Twenty20 International of their European tour on Thursday.
Captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to emulate his highest score in the format, 254 against Scotland in Edinburgh a week ago.
But the Kiwi batsmen struggled to mark properly on a dull hybrid pitch at Sundar Voorburg Cricket Club just outside The Hague.
Martin Guptill scored 45 off 36 balls and then caught Tim Pringle for a boundary at deep backward square leg.
Left-arm hard-hitting Jimmy Neesham scored 32 runs in 17 balls including two sixes and two fours.
New Zealand appeared well prepared to reach past 200, until Neesham was brilliantly caught over a boundary by Bass de Lead on a full toss.
The Netherlands were quick in the field, including best bowler Shariz Ahmed, who caught and bowled the dangerous looking Glenn Phillips (14) and finished with figures of 2-15 in three overs.
For the second and final match on Friday, both the teams will meet again on the same ground.
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