Netherlands openers undermine Kenya fightback

Netherlands 178 for 0 (Szwarczynski 89*, Kervezee 85*) and 385 lead Kenya 433 (D Obuya 115, C Obuya 89, Kamande 75, Doeschate 5-104) by 130 runs
Scorecard

Kenya's survived an early-morning collapse to take the upper hand, through some determined lower-order batting, and secure a handy first-innings lead, before Netherlands' openers wrested back the initiative with a commanding display on the third day. At stumps, Netherlands were 130 ahead with all ten second-innings wickets intact, and will look to set Kenya an uncomfortable target on the fourth day.

Kenya's day began on the wrong foot, with Ryan ten Doeschate carrying his batting form to the bowling crease. Play had barely begun when he struck twice, removing centurion David Obuya for his overnight score and Hiren Varaiya for a duck. When Pieter Seelar dismissed Alex Obanda for 3, Kenya looked in serious trouble of running a considerable first-innings deficit.

Maurice Ouma and Jimmy Kamande had other plans and settled in to rebuild the innings. Ouma contributed a patient 54 with six hits to the boundary before ten Doeschate struck again. Nehemiah Odhiambo then played an attractive innings to take Kenya ahead of Netherlands' score, adding 65 with Kamande in 13 overs. ten Doeschate completed his five-for with Kamande's scalp, but Odhiambo remained unbeaten on a 54-ball 50 when the innings folded for 433.

Facing a deficit of 47, Netherlands' openers, Alexei Kervezee and Eric Szwarczynski, faced no problems in the latter half of the day as they complemented each other stroke for stroke to rack up 178 before stumps. Kervezee was marginally slower in his run-scoring, but more adventurous, as he hit two sixes and ten fours in his 85. Szwarczynski, who was out for zero in the first dig, came to the party in the second dig with an assured 89 off 147 balls, inclusive of 13 fours. The pair was confident against all comers, and will look to raise the scoring rate on the final day as Netherlands aim for an outright win.