Brief scores: The Netherlands 214 for 5 (Edwards 67*, Nidamanuru 58, Jessy 2-35) beat USA 211 for 8 (Jahangir 71, Jessy 38, Klein 2-31, de Leede 2-37) by 5 wickets.

Half centuries from Scott Edwards and Teja Nidamanuru helped Netherlands to a five-wicket win over the US and notch up the side’s first win in two attempts at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Harare.

Having come in at 83-4 in pursuit of 212, Edwards (67*) steadied the chase with Nidamanuru (58) as the duo put up a 72-run stand and later swept his sixth boundary to seal the chase with 40 balls to spare.

The US, who were inserted to bat first, were already without their regular captain Monank Patel and were further weakened by a stomach illness bug sweeping through the team. Their pace ace Ali Khan, back playing after serving a two-match ban following a breach of ICC’s Code of Conduct at the Qualifier Playoffs against Jersey, was off the field after sending down just four overs.

In the only change from the first match against Zimbabwe for the Dutch, seamer Ryan Klein came in for Saqib Zulfiqar and struck twice in the first six overs to reduce the USA to 20-3.

Stand-in skipper Aaron Jones chopped one onto the stumps off Bas de Leede before Gajanand Singh feathered one down the leg side to hand Vikram Singh his first wicket off his second ball and Nisarg Patel was caught attempting a pull as the USA further slid to 88-6.

Wicket-keeper Shayan Jahangir followed up his maiden ODI century against Nepal to once again top score with an 86-ball 71, hitting five fours and two sixes, to lead a revival and ensure the bowlers had a score to work with even if an under-par 211-8.

In response, Max O’Dowd (26) and Wesley Barresi (29) failed to convert their starts and fell two overs apart, both LBW to right arm seamer Jessy Singh. De Leede top edged a length ball from left-arm quick Saurabh Netravalkar after a lean 24-ball four.

It was one of the few passages of play the US dominated as the Dutch hit just one boundary, scoring 22 runs and losing three wickets in 62 deliveries to be left reeling at 83-4 on a pitch flattening out.

Edwards and Nidamanuru weathered the storm and rotated the strike converting ones into twos, keeping busy at the crease, hitting the odd boundary. Edwards, alongside Barresi, brought up 1000 ODI career runs en route to his eleventh half-century.

Keep busy

“When you get yourself in, especially in a low chase, someone has to try to be there at the end. I was just trying to be busy, hit the gaps and run hard,” Edwards said after the match. “A few games under the belt helps, pretty comfortable with what my game is. When I get in, I try to hold the innings.”

Nidamanuru, who hit five boundaries to bring up his second ODI fifty, top edged a sweep with 57 still to get but Edwards and Logan van Beek knocked off the runs to keep USA winless.

“Nice to fight back and get the first win on the board. I think the way our bowlers came back after the last game was sensational. After the first 10-15 overs, it flattens out. If you get by that period, you can still score quite a few runs. It is about being wary in the first few overs.”

The Netherlands play their next game against Nepal on Saturday, June 24. All matches are broadcast on Sky Sports Mix (in the UK) and Yupp TV (in continental Europe).