Netherlands v West Indies, World Cup 2011, Delhi
ESPNcricinfo staff
28-Feb-2011
Kemar Roach's six wickets fired West Indies to victory • AFP
Kemar Roach lifted the spirits on a dank day of World Cup action by becoming the sixth World Cup hat-trick-taker as West Indies cruised past a disappointing Netherlands outfit in Delhi.
His whippet pace and low-trajectory overwhelmed Netherlands who, set 331 for victory, were left to regret their captain's decision to field first. Having already taken three wickets, Roach finished the game in style, trapping Pieter Seelaar and Bernard Loots lbw in successive deliveries before splattering Berend Westdijk's middle stump to seal the hat-trick and a 215-run victory.
He operated consistently around the 90mph and was happy to aim full at the stumps - a tactic shunned by England's bowlers against the same opposition - and Netherlands' batsmen were not up for a fight. He is the sole the fire in West Indies' pace offerings and proved irresistible.
What was most promising is that the pitch offered no assistance, and it was instead Roach's exuberance and skiddy accuracy that proved decisive. At just 22 years of age Roach had only played 16 ODIs before this game but got straight into the action when he removed Netherlands opener Wesley Beressi. Netherlands had shown against England that they are no batting pushovers and Roach had his former-captain Chris Gayle to thank for the first scalp.
Baressi flashed outside off stump to send a skimming catch towards Gayle at slip and what would have been routine became difficult when Darren Sammy dived across Gayle from second slip, but the catch was still held. He then stunned Bas Zuiderent, Netherlands' most-capped player, with a searing yorker that burst through his ageing defences before returning later with a similar delivery to end Mudassar Bukhari's stay.
He used the short-ball sparingly, but, in the tradition of all the great West Indies pacemen of old, cleverly to pin back the nervy batsmen. In a tight Group B net run rate may well come into play in the final standings so it was important for West Indies to win as emphatically as possible.
Netherlands crossed the 100-mark before Roach's speed overwhelmed the lower order. Lasith Malinga was the last man to take a World Cup hat-trick when he took four in four against South Africa four years ago and Roach gets a chance to match him when West Indies play Bangladesh in the pivotal group game on Friday. If he can match this showing West Indies could spring surprise and disappoint the home crowds.