Netherlands coast to easy win

Netherlands 121 for 4 (Szwarczynski 46, Zuiderent 41*) beat Kenya 118 for 5 (Tikolo 34, Seelaar 3-22) by six wickets
Scorecard

Netherlands bounced back from their crushing defeat in last week's four-day game to cruise to a six-wicket win over Kenya in a rain-affected ODI in Rotterdam.

After the heavy rain over the previous week reduced the game to a 24-over affair, Netherlands captain Jeroen Smits unsurprisingly chose to bowl first on a slow pitch. Kenya's openers Kennedy Otieno and Alex Obanda provided a steady, though slow, start before left-arm spinner Pieter Seelaar struck.

Otieno and his captain Steve Tikolo, two of Kenya's most experienced batsmen, took their side to a promising 96 for 1 before Otieno was run out. Tikolo fell soon after - stumped for a 32-ball 34 - as Kenya lost their momentum; they mustered only 22 runs in the final eight overs to finish on 118. Seelar, fresh from his five-for in the four-day match, was the most effective bowler with returns of 3 for 22.

Netherlands' chase got off to a poor start as Darron Reekers fell in the first over, giving a catch to Obanda at backward point. Eric Szwarczynski and Tom de Grooth kept the asking rate in check and had taken the hosts to 40 by the ninth over before de Grooth was run out by a direct hit. Bas Zuiderent (41 not out), returning from a thumb injury, and Szwarczynski then added 66 to ensure that their bowlers' good work didn't go in vain.

The next stop for Kenya on their European tour is Belfast, where they play three one-dayers against Ireland.