Some middle order heroics from birthday boy Tom Latham has helped the Black Caps wrestle their way back into the second ODI against the Netherlands after a horrid early batting collapse in Hamilton.
Latham's unbeaten 140 saw the Black Caps reach 264/9 in the first innings of the second ODI at Seddon Park after his side were reduced to 32/5 early on.
So often using the short ball as an advantage in their bowling attack on home soil, the Black Caps looked out of sorts trying to play against it as time and again the Dutch bowlers struck gold with the delivery.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat things looked steady as openers Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls eased into the contest, scoring 22 runs off the opening four overs.
Disaster struck a ball later though with Guptill sent packing for just six runs thanks to a superb diving catch from Bas de Leede at cover.
And then the wickets kept coming.
Will Young was back in the pavilion for one an over later after an unfortunate bounce off his thigh pad into his elbow saw the ball drop down onto leg stump.
Nicholls (19 runs), retiring great Ross Taylor (1) and Michael Bracewell (1) then all fell in the space of three overs as each was challenged by the short ball and each lost their wicket to it.
That left the Black Caps reeling at 32/5 after just 10 overs having lost five wickets in the space of six overs.
Tom Latham and Colin de Grandhomme were tasked with bringing some stability to the sinking ship after that and the pair delivered for the next 12 overs, building a 57-run partnership that looked set to bring the hosts back into the contest.
Enter the infamous short ball again.
De Grandhomme looked to punish a Pieter Seelaar delivery but instead offered up another top edge that keeper Scott Edwards easily got under for the catch and a soft dismissal.
De Grandhomme departed for 16, bringing Doug Bracewell to the crease to work alongside Latham, who had advanced to 37 to push the Black Caps to 89/6.
Latham continued to soldier on, soon bringing up his 50 as Bracewell offered signs of life at the other end with an early four and six.
The pair continued to attack for a defendable target, surpassing Latham's previous partnership with de Grandhomme with ease for a combined 89 runs heading into the final 11 overs.
The Dutch showed some resolve though as they managed to remove Bracewell for 41 thanks to a decent diving catch from Brandon Glover.
Surprisingly, that saw Ish Sodhi - not Kyle Jamieson - join Latham at the crease heading into the final 10 overs with the skipper on 83 and the Black Caps 181/7.
Sodhi played defensively while Latham marched on at the other end and unlike his teammates managed to punish a short ball over deep midwicket for six to enter the nervous 90s.
Two overs later, he collected his sixth ODI century off of 101 deliveries.
Despite a whopping six to cow corner, Sodhi soon departed for 18 to bring Jamieson to the crease.
The tall all-rounder's stay wasn't long though as he was sent back to the club house for just three runs from four balls after his review for an lbw didn't work.
That meant Blair Tickner headed to the middle with Latham for the final two overs which Latham started off with a crushing six to deep midwicket.
In the end the partnership netted 29 runs, thanks in large part to Latham finishing the final over with two sixes and a four to get the Black Caps to 264.
The Netherlands will come out to bat shortly, looking to claim their first ever ODI win over a top tier nation.
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