Nero's fifty helps West Indies to tight win

West Indies continued their unbeaten record on their Europe tour but not without some scares when they slipped to 66 for 5 in the second one-dayer against Netherlands. Juliana Nero stood firm with only her second fifty in 32 ODIs, but one which proved vital to maintaining their win tally.

Coming in at 11 for 1, she bravely fought on as her comrades fell, until she had helped push the score on to 135 for 9, West Indies eventually setting Netherlands 145 under tricky conditions. Nero ended with 50 from 105 balls.

The home side were 91 for 3 in reply, with an excellent chance of running up their first win in 13 matches - that record stretching back to 2003 - but Stacy-Ann Kirby and Kirbyiana Alexander conspired to ruin their dreams. The pair took five of the final seven wickets between them - Alexander involved in a sixth, a run-out which was set-up by Anisa Mohammed - as Netherlands slid away 20 runs short, a rain break having forced Duckworth-Lewis into the equation. Debbie-Ann Lewis had kicked off proceedings with three handy victims.

Netherlands will not be best pleased that they gave away 25 wides; West Indies 13. Netherlands have to win the final two matches to level the four-ODI series but before that comes their second stab at Twenty20 cricket, West Indies' third, with their match on Sunday.