England power past Netherlands in 2nd ODI

Amstelveen: England beat off a plucky attack by the Netherlands today to defeat the hosts by six wickets in a shortened 2nd one-day international at VRA cricket ground outside Amsterdam.

The Netherlands won the toss and opted to bat, setting Eoin Morgan’s men a target of 236-7 in 41 overs.

Heavy rain overnight delayed the start of the match with officials waiting for wet patches to dry next to the bat-friendly pitch and on the outfield.

Taking bat to ball for England opener Phil Salt slapped 77 off 54 balls before falling to Dutch youngster Arjan Dutt who also claimed the scalp of fellow opener Jason Roy.

Roy, who scored a single run in England’s record total of 498 on Friday, redeemed himself by hitting 73 off 60 balls.

For the Dutch, newly-minted captain Scott Edwards tallied an admirable 78 before being run out.

The win by the world champions give them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, with the final match to be played at the same venue on Wednesday.