New Delhi: The West Indies put up a dominating batting display to post a formidable 330 for eight against the Netherlands in their Group B match on Monday.
Sent into bat, openers Chris Gayle (80) and Devon Smith (53) laid the foundation for the score with a century stand before Kireon Pollard (60) opened up to register the highest total at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground here.
Gayle, however, remained one short of completing his 8000 runs in ODI cricket to become only the fourth West Indian cricketer to achieve the feat, but he set the tone for the massive total.
Gayle scored 80 of 110 ball, which was studded with seven fours and two sixes, and together with Smith put on a century-run opening partnership and then added another 68 runs with Darren Bravo to lay a solid platform for Pollard to explode.
Pollard, on his part, hit a quick-fire 60 off just 27 balls, which included five fours and four sixes, to set the platform for the Windies who are without a win in their last nine ODIs. Pollard also shared a 65-run fourth wicket stand with Ramnaresh Sarwan (49).
Pollard's fabulous knock was marked with hits all around the park which entertained a handful of crowd here. Of his four sixes, a huge hit over the long off brought up his half-century.
For the Netherlands, left-arm spinner Peter Seelar chipped in with three wickets for 45 runs from his allotted 10 overs.
Put into bat, the West Indies made their intentions clear from the very first ball as Smith straight away sent out strong signal to the opposition camp by hitting three boundaries in the very first over of the innings off Madassar Bukhari.
The opening pair kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos, besides occasional fours to maintain a healthy run-rate against an average Dutch bowling attack.
Smith, being the more dominating of the two was completely in control as he punished the Dutch bowlers for every lose delivery, racing to his half-century in just 45 balls with the help of nine fours.
On the other hand, Gayle got off to a slow start, taking 23 balls to score his first six runs before he got into the rhythm.
After the initial hiccup, he chose the last match hero Ryan ten Doeschate's first over to open up, hitting him for three fours through the cover before he hit two more in the following over to sent the Orange brigade on a leather hunt.
The Dutch bowlers looked completely off-colour as they failed to back their skipper Peter Borren's decision to field first.
Just when the Windies started to look dangerous, bringing up their 100 in 16.1 overs, Bernard Loots struck to give the Netherlands their first breakthrough by seeing off Smith for a well-made 53 off 51 balls, caught by wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi.
After Smith's departure, Gayle got into the driver's seat as Bravo joined him in the middle.
Upon completing his fifty, Gayle went in for two sixes off Tom Cooper over the long-off boundary.
Complementing his partner well, Bravo gave a good support to Gayle and also hit two sixes and a four before he lofted the ball to the long-on boundary to be caught by Alexei Kervezee off Seelar. Sarwan got a life when he survived a drop catch on 13 .
Gayle, however continued his run-riot. In fact, the West Indies were going great guns when they chose to take the batting powerplay in the 37th over and just like India and England, they also paid the price immediately by losing Gayle off Ten Doeschate's bowling.
However, Pollard did not let that hamper the team's run-rate, taking on from exactly where Gayle left.
Pollard went for a huge six off Seelar before following it up with three more hits to the boundary and another six in the next over of Bukhari.
Imitating his partner, Sarwan (49 off 42 balls) also stole a few boundaries before he got another lease of life on 41, dropped by Bukhari off Loots' bowling but it was short-lived as he threw his wicket away in the very next over.
And by the time Seelar took two wickets, of captain Darren Sammy and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in quick succession, the damage was already done, with Pollard continuing to go for the big ones.
Devon Thomas was the eighth wicket to fall as he was adjusted lbw to Bukhari, with referral also supporting the on-field umpires' decision.
Sent into bat, openers Chris Gayle (80) and Devon Smith (53) laid the foundation for the score with a century stand before Kireon Pollard (60) opened up to register the highest total at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground here.
Gayle, however, remained one short of completing his 8000 runs in ODI cricket to become only the fourth West Indian cricketer to achieve the feat, but he set the tone for the massive total.
Gayle scored 80 of 110 ball, which was studded with seven fours and two sixes, and together with Smith put on a century-run opening partnership and then added another 68 runs with Darren Bravo to lay a solid platform for Pollard to explode.
Pollard, on his part, hit a quick-fire 60 off just 27 balls, which included five fours and four sixes, to set the platform for the Windies who are without a win in their last nine ODIs. Pollard also shared a 65-run fourth wicket stand with Ramnaresh Sarwan (49).
Pollard's fabulous knock was marked with hits all around the park which entertained a handful of crowd here. Of his four sixes, a huge hit over the long off brought up his half-century.
For the Netherlands, left-arm spinner Peter Seelar chipped in with three wickets for 45 runs from his allotted 10 overs.
Put into bat, the West Indies made their intentions clear from the very first ball as Smith straight away sent out strong signal to the opposition camp by hitting three boundaries in the very first over of the innings off Madassar Bukhari.
The opening pair kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos, besides occasional fours to maintain a healthy run-rate against an average Dutch bowling attack.
Smith, being the more dominating of the two was completely in control as he punished the Dutch bowlers for every lose delivery, racing to his half-century in just 45 balls with the help of nine fours.
On the other hand, Gayle got off to a slow start, taking 23 balls to score his first six runs before he got into the rhythm.
After the initial hiccup, he chose the last match hero Ryan ten Doeschate's first over to open up, hitting him for three fours through the cover before he hit two more in the following over to sent the Orange brigade on a leather hunt.
The Dutch bowlers looked completely off-colour as they failed to back their skipper Peter Borren's decision to field first.
Just when the Windies started to look dangerous, bringing up their 100 in 16.1 overs, Bernard Loots struck to give the Netherlands their first breakthrough by seeing off Smith for a well-made 53 off 51 balls, caught by wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi.
After Smith's departure, Gayle got into the driver's seat as Bravo joined him in the middle.
Upon completing his fifty, Gayle went in for two sixes off Tom Cooper over the long-off boundary.
Complementing his partner well, Bravo gave a good support to Gayle and also hit two sixes and a four before he lofted the ball to the long-on boundary to be caught by Alexei Kervezee off Seelar. Sarwan got a life when he survived a drop catch on 13 .
Gayle, however continued his run-riot. In fact, the West Indies were going great guns when they chose to take the batting powerplay in the 37th over and just like India and England, they also paid the price immediately by losing Gayle off Ten Doeschate's bowling.
However, Pollard did not let that hamper the team's run-rate, taking on from exactly where Gayle left.
Pollard went for a huge six off Seelar before following it up with three more hits to the boundary and another six in the next over of Bukhari.
Imitating his partner, Sarwan (49 off 42 balls) also stole a few boundaries before he got another lease of life on 41, dropped by Bukhari off Loots' bowling but it was short-lived as he threw his wicket away in the very next over.
And by the time Seelar took two wickets, of captain Darren Sammy and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in quick succession, the damage was already done, with Pollard continuing to go for the big ones.
Devon Thomas was the eighth wicket to fall as he was adjusted lbw to Bukhari, with referral also supporting the on-field umpires' decision.
