Jason Roy made his 100th one-day international appearance for England as the country held off the Netherlands for a two-game lead in their series.
Despite being one of the few England players to miss out on the world record for the most runs in a single inning, Roy made a valuable contribution with the bat. He hit a quickfire 60 not out to help his side reach a target of 236.
Roy hit five of his first nine balls for four, which proved to be the turning point in the match. Eventually, he could make 60 not out, as England chased down the target with six wickets in hand.
Phil Salt continued his impressive form with the bat, making 77 off 54 balls to help England win. However, his captain, Eoin Morgan, was again out for a duck. The Netherlands, on the other hand, showed remarkable resilience after they had suffered their heaviest defeat in an international match.
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It was eventually in vain as Moeen Ali and Dawid Malan made crucial contributions to help England overcome the 235 mark with 29 balls to spare. The match had started following a delay of over two hours due to the weather.
Adil Rashid and David Willey took two wickets each, while Brydon Carse showed impressive pace in a 1-for-36 performance.
Scott Edwards, named the Netherlands’ captain after Pieter Seelaar announced his retirement due to a back injury, did not bat. It was believed that England’s impressive performance on Friday influenced the decision to omit Edwards.
Roy’s crucial drives
Roy, who has been a consistent contributor for England throughout his career, started the match with plenty of purposes and a couple of cover drives.
Initially, Salt was reluctant to partner with his senior. However, he eventually settled down and faced some impressive left-arm spin from Tim Pringle.
After reaching his fifty in the 12th over, Roy looked to take down Aryan Dutt and hit him for six over long on. However, he was soon sent back to the pavilion after he miscued a delivery to a short third man. His fours in the next over had cleared the mid-off fence, and he was visibly furious as he left the field.
Morgan’s lean trot continued when he was caught at backward point off Pringle, and Liam Livingstone soon followed him as England lost three wickets in 19 deliveries.
Early onslaught gives England time
Malan was also given out lbw on 19 after he was hit on the back leg. However, this decision was overturned, and England took the lead in the series. Despite a few nervous moments, Roy’s early onslaught ensured that his team had time on its hands.
The Netherlands’ early struggles with the bat resulted in the early dismissals of both the openers, as Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd were caught behind by Malan off Willey’s short ball.
Edwards then came in and provided the Netherlands with some much-needed impetus with the bat, as he made a crucial lbw verdict. While Bas de Leede was the second Dutch player to fall victim to Rashid’s over-the-top delivery, Edwards provided the crucial contribution with the bat.
Edwards initially struggled against Moeen’s off-breaks, but he gradually grew in confidence and hit him to reach his second fifty of the series.
