3 times West Indies lost an ODI after scoring more than 350
In what was one of the all-time great ODIs, the West Indies were stunned by the Netherlands in an epic ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifiers clash at the Takashinga Sports Club in Bulawayo on Monday, June 26.
Electing to field first, the Dutch bowlers were humbled by a 101-run opening stand between Johnson Charles and Brandon King, as well as Nicholas Pooran's unbeaten 104, which powered the West Indies to a massive 374/6. In reply, Teja Nidamanuru whipped up a stunning 76-ball 111 before Logan van Beek and Aryan Dutt threatened to pull off a Houdini act.
The match went into the final over, with the Netherlands requiring nine runs to win. It then came down to a lone run needed off the last ball before a superb catch by Jason Holder to dismiss Van Beek saw the West Indies tie the contest and take it to a Super Over.
Holder was entrusted with bowling the Super Over, but Van Beek was in no mood to spare him as he clobbered three fours and as many sixes to put the result of the game beyond doubt. 31 was always going to be a mountain and then some to climb as the West Indies went down 'by the barest of margins', leaving their World Cup destiny hanging by a thread.
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Netherlands triumphs over West Indies in an exhilarating Super Over showdown! 🎉🏏
Logan van Beek was named the Player of the Match for his all-round performance 👏
#WorldCupQualifier #WestIndies #Netherlands https://t.co/i4uiHO4Hcs
This wasn't the first time that they lost an ODI despite posting a total well above 350. Here's a look into three other instances below:
#1 4th ODI vs England at The Oval, 2017
West Indies entered the 4th ODI of their five-match series against England having reached last chance saloon. With England leading the series 2-0, the visitors had to win in order to avoid another series defeat.
Evin Lewis duly stepped up and clobbered an unbeaten 176 in one of the greatest ODI knocks. Along with skipper Holder's unbeaten 77, Lewis powered the West Indies to a mammoth 356/5 in their alloted 50 overs. England went on a rampage, though, with Jason Roy leading the way with a 66-ball 84 before his wicket brought about a mini-collapse.
But with clouds lurking around, it seemed as though the weather would have a say. And so it did, but not before Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali raced along to take England six runs ahead of the DLS par score by the time the covers came on one delivery into the 36th over.
Fate was cruel on the West Indies as England ended 258/5 in 35.1 overs without resuming their innings thereafter. The series went in favor of the hosts, even as Lewis walked away with the Player of the Match honors.
#2 1st ODI in Bridgetown, 2019
England arrived on Caribbean shores as one of the hot favorites in a World Cup year in 2019. And they showed just why in the opening ODI at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Opting to bat first, West Indies rode on a blistering 135 from Chris Gayle and a steady 64 from Shai Hope to put the bowlers under the pump. Useful contributions from Darren Bravo and Ashley Nurse saw them whip up a mammoth 360/8 in 50 overs. The innings saw 23 sixes being struck, which was a team record at the time in ODIs.
The response from England, however, proved just why no total was safe against that team. Roy butchered 123 off 85 deliveries, with Joe Root contributing a much more measured 97-ball 102. Skipper Eoin Morgan's knock of 65 off 51 deliveries ensured there was no way back for the hosts as England chased down the total with eight deliveries to spare.
#3 4th ODI at St. George's, 2019
bit.ly/WIvsEng7
WHAT A MATCH!
West Indies make their highest ever ODI total of 389 but Jos Buttler's 150, a century from captain Morgan, Adil Rashid's five-for and four wickets from Mark Wood help England to victory by 29 runs!
#WIvENG scorecard ➡️ bit.ly/WIvsEng7 https://t.co/jUqlLOMLO0
Yet another ODI against England where the West Indies managed to score in excess of 350 but couldn't come out on the right side of it. Only this time, it was in a run-chase which they threatened to pull off at one stage.
With the 5-match series leveled at 1-1 heading into the 4th ODI at the National Cricket Stadium in St. George's, Grenada, England bulldozed their way to a whopping 418/6 after being asked to bat.
While Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales set the tone with a 100-run opening stand inside 14 overs, Morgan's 103 and a ridiculous 77-ball 150 from Buttler saw the visitors accelerate in some style. They snatched the record for the most sixes in an ODI innings and would also go on to better it twice in the years to come.
West Indies were up to the task, though, and leading the way yet again was Gayle, who clobbered a 97-ball 162 despite the loss of two early wickets. Even as he lost his wicket at the start of the 35th over, his team was on course, with Carlos Brathwaite proving to be a thorn in England's flesh again.
Alas, there wasn't to be a fairytale this time around. If anything, things came apart in catastrophic fashion as West Indies slumped from 389/6 to 389 all out in the space of five deliveries, with Adil Rashid nipping the last four in the bud to wrap up a famous win for England in the 48th over.
Can the West Indies still qualify for the 2023 World Cup despite their stunning defeat to the Netherlands? Have your say in the comments section below!
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