Netherlands win first ever one-dayer

BLOEMFONTEIN: Klaas Jan van Noortwijk and Feiko Kloppenburg hammered centuries as the Netherlands recorded their first one-day international victory by beating Namibia in the World Cup yesterday.

The delighted Dutchmen ended their tournament with a 64-run victory after hammering 314 for four in the battle of the Group A minnows. Van Noortwijk’s run-a-ball 134 equalled the sixth highest individual score of the 2003 Cup — he was close to tears at the end of his innings — while Kloppenburg made 121 as the pair put 228 for the second wicket. No Dutchman had scored a World Cup century before. The 32-year-old Van Noortwijk, favouring slashing off drives and hoists to midwicket, had scored the previous Dutch record of 64 runs in the 1996 World Cup against England but had only scored 20 in his previous three World Cup games. Kloppenburg returned with four wickets for 42 from 10 overs with his right-arm medium pace. Namibia made an enterprising reply but gradually fell behind the asking rate after their openers put on 76 by the 14th over. They were dismissed for 250 in 46.5 overs.