Amstelveen – Career-best performances from Akeal Hosein and Brandon King enabled West Indies to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in their One-day International series against the Netherlands with a five-wicket win on Thursday in Holland.
Left-arm spinner Hosein, 29, grabbed 4-39 from his allotted 10 overs and pacer Alzarri Joseph supported with 2-30 from eight overs, and the Netherlands were bowled out for 214 in 48.3 overs after deciding to bat at the VRA Ground.
Hosein and Joseph carved up the Dutch batting after Max O’Dowd gathered 51 from 78 balls and Vikramjit Singh made 46 from 58 balls in an opening stand of 101.
The Windies met little resistance from the remainder of the Dutch batting, except Scott Edwards, whose 68 off 89 balls was the top score, and made him the only other Netherlands batsman to reach double figures.
In their chase, West Indies were on the ropes at 99 for five in the 24th over before Brandon King and Keacy Carty, playing in his second ODI, batted splendidly and put on a 118-run stand to take the visitors to the target with 27 balls remaining.
King batted positively to keep the scoreboard ticking in an unbeaten, run-a-ball 91 that turned the momentum in favour of West Indies and Carty was stable company with an 43 not out off 66 balls.
There were a few anxious moments for the two Windies batting heroes when the Netherlands had two chances of a run out in the 33rd over, but they failed to convert any.
King got to his 50 two overs later and then took off from that point, and he finished things off in style with the last of his three sixes.
The win propels West Indies in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League table from 10th to sixth on 70 points, and the Dutch are at the bottom with 25 points.
The third and final ODI of the series will be played on Saturday at the same venue.
(AR)