Roach does the trick as West Indies revived

NEW DEHLI: Kemar Roach grabbed six wickets, including a hat-trick, and Kieron Pollard smashed 60 off 27 balls to help West Indies thrash the Netherlands by 215 runs in the World Cup.

Pollard built on the platform laid by Chris Gayle, who made 80, as the Caribbean side posted 330 for eight before bowling out their hapless opponents for 115 off 31.3 overs in the Group B game at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

The West Indies’ total was the highest at the ground, which is coming off a 12-month suspension over a dangerous playing surface.

The Netherlands hardly posed any threat in the lop-sided encounter, crumbling to 36 for five by the 11th over after early strikes from Roach, who finished with six for 27, and left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn (three for 28).

Roach, 22, returned to collect only the sixth World Cup hat-trick and the first of this tournament, sealing an emphatic win for the former world champions.

Dutch hope Ryan ten Doeschate, who scored 119 against England, failed to repeat his magic, trapped leg before wicket for seven by Benn.

Tom Cooper provided the only resistance with an unbeaten 55 off 72 balls but the target was just too much for the Netherlands.

Captain pleased after win

West Indies captain Darren Sammy praised Roach for his bowling performance.

“It was great, brilliant,” said Sammy. “His role in the team is to be a strike bowler and it was important that he went out and did it.

“It’s important to see us not only winning but winning convincingly and Roach came out and put his hand up and did what he came to do for the team.”

‘I still have a lot of work to do’

Roach, who was named man of the match, was delighted with his performance. “My job is to keep my pace up and be as accurate as possible, but I still have a lot of work to do,” said the Barbados bowler.

“The surface was kind of slow so our plan was to bowl straight at the stumps.”

Dutch skipper Peter Borren was bemused by his team’s performance after they had pushed England hard in their opener.

“I don’t know what to put it down to. I guess the guys just didn’t turn up after what was a decent performance against England,” he said.

“There’s no doubt we’re going to have to have a good look at ourselves after today which was a disappointing performance.”

The win put life back into the West Indies campaign after they lost to South Africa in their opener.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2011.