Netherlands blow away Fiji challenge

As expected, the Netherlands completed a seven wicket victory over Fiji at a windswept Ajax ground today, in conditions that were in stark contrast to the previous days of the tournament. After heavy rain prevented a prompt start, the match was reduced to 45 overs. Both teams helped the ground staff to clear water from the covers, not a familar sight on our Test grounds.

The Netherlands won the toss, asked Fiji to bat, and made an immediate breakthrough when Rika snicked an easy catch off Khan's first ball. Rika lingered at the wicket, more showing disappointment at his own shot rather than dissent at the decision. The Fijians found runs very hard to obtain against an accurate pace attack, with T Sorovakatini (9) taking as many as 46 balls for his score.

The Fijians nonetheless showed more application than they had done against the Scots, and saw off the new ball attack, only for wickets to fall to the change bowlers de Leede and Kloppenburg. The run rate fell even further when spinner Esmeijer (1/12 from 9 overs) combined with left-armer van Troost (3/20 off 8 overs) to capture a flurry of wickets and leave the batting side at 79/7 in the 33rd over. Cakacaka and Seuvou added a useful 28, and the Fijians battled hard to take their final total to 127. The Dutch attack was accurate, albeit unthreatening, and Esmeijer bowled superbly in the difficult conditions provided by a strong cross-wind.

The Fijians made the Dutch work hard for their win, with Batina in particular bowling a tight accurate line and Tawatatau bowling Zulfikar Ahmed to break the opening partnership. Neil Maxwell bowled four impressive and hostile overs, and was very unlucky not to break the useful second wicket partnership between van Oosterom and Kloppenburg, having an easy catch put down at gully, and several close lbw appeals turned down.

The dropped catch apart, the Fijian fielding was keen and effective but the Dutch batted solidly and took advantage of some incosistent line from change bowlers Kamikamica and Sevou to accelerate the run scoring rate. Tukana bowled Kloppenburg for a solid 40 but, by the time van Oosterom was superbly caught on the boundary shortly after reaching an accomplished half-century, the Dutch only needed another 10 runs. It was a measure of the Fijian's keeness that it took them 6 overs to get them.

The hard-working Fijian team was then put to work again assisting the ground staff in the hazardous task of covering the square in a wind so forceful that the sightscreens had blown over.

Both teams performed well under the difficult conditions, with the difference between them being the quality of the upper order batting.