Netherlands’ total swept aside by unbroken stand worth 163 in 20.1 overs with Jos Buttler
Matt Roller22-Jun-2022England blazed down a target of 245 in 30.1 overs to seal a 3-0 clean sweep against Netherlands in Amstelveen and go top of the World Cup Super League in the process.Jason Roy and Jos Buttler put on an unbroken 163 for the third wicket in just 20.1 overs, with Roy reaching an 86-ball hundred – his first ODI century since the 2019 World Cup – off the final ball of the 30th over, driving Bas de Leede through mid-off for four; Buttler crunched the next ball, off Tim Pringle, over the media tent for six to seal the win.Netherlands were well-placed at 203 for 3 with a ball left in the 40th over after being asked to bat first by Buttler, deputising for the injured Eoin Morgan, but lost their last seven wickets for 41 runs and were bowled out with four deliveries unused.David Willey was the pick of the England attack with 4 for 36, returning to mop up the lower order after dismissing Vikramjit Singh for the third time in the series, and Netherlands were clearly some way short of par on a fresh, dry pitch on another beautiful day in Amsterdam’s suburbs.Scott Edwards, who has replaced the retired Pieter Seelaar as Netherlands’ captain, made his third half-century of the series while de Leede and Max O’Dowd also reached 50, but none could press on and convert their starts into something substantial.Roy was dropped twice, on 51 by Edwards off Aryan Dutt and inexplicably on 75 when Fred Klaassen, playing his first game of the series after county commitments with Kent, induced a leading edge with a slower ball but put down a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance.Paul van Meekeren, who had recovered from an ankle injury he suffered while playing for Gloucestershire, struck twice at the end of the powerplay after England had set off at a relentless pace: Phil Salt was bowled by a nip-backer for 49 off 30 balls, and Dawid Malan set up on off stump only to be bowled around his legs without scoring.But Roy and Buttler – bizarrely, batting together in an ODI for only the third time – continued to attack and flogged each of the six bowlers that the Netherlands used. Buttler took 26 from a van Meekeren over, including a merciless slog over square leg as a back-of-the-hand slower ball went wrong, but there was still time for Roy to complete his hundred.Buttler was again promoted to No. 4, a role which he seems increasingly likely to fill in the 2023 World Cup as England look to make the most of his talent, and shuffled his bowlers well in Morgan’s absence, confirming his status as the out-of-form captain’s heir apparent.After Willey had removed Singh, plinking a pull to short midwicket, David Payne, making his England debut at the age of 31, was unfortunate not to pick up an early wicket as he found some nip off the seam with the new ball. With the final ball of his third over, he induced a top-edged pull from Tom Cooper, but Liam Livingstone lost the ball in the sun and pulled out of the catch, letting it drop a few metres away from his feet.David Willey finished with 4 for 36•Getty Images
After a sedate start, the Netherlands upped the tempo to reach 47 for 1 at the end of the powerplay with Cooper, who looked increasingly fluent as his comeback series has worn on, stroking Willey for three boundaries in an over.Brydon Carse, auditioning for the Liam Plunkett role as England’s enforcer, was thrown the ball in the middle overs and stuck to his guns, continuing to bang the ball in despite being pulled for four twice in his second over. He had Cooper caught at deep backward square leg on the hook, Livingstone managing to pick the ball up through the sun thanks to a flatter trajectory.Buttler turned to spin after drinks and it was Livingstone who removed the set O’Dowd for exactly 50, the ball after he had brought up a 68-ball half-century. O’Dowd’s fifty was his second of the series and his fourth in his last five ODI innings, but he had to drag himself off after a thin edge behind while looking to rotate the strike.Edwards and de Leede had to rebuild after the loss of two set batters and the Netherlands went more than 10 overs without a boundary in the middle overs, though both batters rotated well. Edwards was dropped at fine leg by Dawid Malan when top-edging a pull off Carse, shortly after de Leede – the coming man of Dutch cricket – had brought up his maiden ODI half-century.He fell soon after, top-edging a pull off Carse to Adil Rashid who ran round from midwicket to square leg, and as the Netherlands looked for a grandstand finish, their innings unravelled: Teja Nidamanuru was sharply stumped by Buttler off Rashid, Logan van Beek chipped Willey to mid-off, and Pringle was run out after a mix-up with Edwards. Willey also removed Dutt and van Meekeren to finish the job, with Payne picking up his maiden ODI wicket when Edwards failed to pick his slower ball and miscued to mid-on.