(CMC) – Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks carved out contrasting maiden One-Day International hundreds but West Indies were forced to withstand a bold counter-offensive from the Netherlands before pulling off a 20-run victory and a clean sweep of their three-match series yesterday.
In his first time at the top of the order, the left-hander Mayers blasted a robust 120 off 106 deliveries, a knock that included eight fours and seven sixes and underpinned the Caribbean side’s 308 for five off their 40 overs.
Brooks, who dropped down to number three, produced a fancy unbeaten 101 off 115 deliveries, counting three fours and four sixes in an innings which proved the perfect foil for Mayer’s fireworks.
Together, they posted 184 for the second wicket, a stand that propelled West Indies to their first total in excess of 300 in their last 10 ODIs.
The Netherlands were unintimidated, however, openers Max O’Dowd (89) and Vikramjit Singh (54) striking half-centuries and Musa Ahmed belting a run-a-ball 42, to hand West Indies a scare before the run chase buckled for 288 in the last over.
Fast bowler Shermon Lewis, on ODI debut, proved expensive but snatched three for 67 from 9.5 overs while left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and (2-52) and leg-spinner Hayden Walsh (2-54) finished with two wickets apiece.
West Indies were under pressure with the hosts coasting at 206 for two in the 38th over but top-scorer O’Dowd’s demise in the 43rd over saw the last six wickets tumble for 49 runs.
“This is a game of cricket. Everything can’t go your way and today Netherlands had us and it seemed they would get away with the game,” said captain Nicholas Pooran who failed for the third straight match with seven.
“But the guys took up the challenge, we stayed in the moment, we did what was required, we stuck to our plans and we came out on top. I’m very happy for that.
“I’m just happy that the guys could’ve pulled the game back under a pressure situation … that’s really nice to see as a captain.”
Opting to bat first at the VRA Ground, West Indies flourished through a 58-run, opening stand between Mayers and Shai Hope (24) before the latter dragged 22-year-old seamer Bas de Leede to mid-on in the 12th over.
Hope’s dismissal paved the way for the real fireworks. Unbeaten on a run-a-ball 29 at the time, Mayers upped the tempo to reach his fifty off 53 deliveries at the start of the 19th before motoring to three figures off just 96 balls with a short single to cover in the 38th over.
“It was a good feeling. I always wanted to get an ODI hundred,” said Man-of-the-Match Mayers, who struck an unbeaten double hundred on Test debut last year.
“We spoke about it at the beginning of the series and it came through. I got the opportunity to bat early and it happened so I’m very happy.”
Brooks rode his luck somewhat. He was reprieved on 14 by DRS after being given out lbw in the 19th over and then dropped on 61 in the 33rd over, a straightforward chance to O’Dowd at mid-off.
He made his way to fifty off 55 deliveries at the end of the 27th over before reaching his hundred off 114 deliveries in the final over, clipping a full toss from pacer Vivian Kingma to mid-wicket for a brace.
In reply, O’Dowd sparkled with eight fours in a 121-ball knock as he posted 98 for the first wicket with Vikramjit, 66 for the second with Musa and 42 for the third with de Leede (25).
The 19-year-old Vikramjit crunched seven fours and a six in 55-ball cameo before playing on to Mayers’s medium pace in the 18th over and Musa counted five fours before missing a straight, full length delivery from Walsh and going lbw.
The turning point came when O’Dowd, with a hundred beckoning, missed a cut at Man-of-the-Series Hosein and was bowled, leaving the lower order to unsuccessfully fend for themselves.