Max O'Dowd on his 158 not out vs Scotland, the men's Associate batting performance of the year
The Netherlands batter's unbeaten knock was voted the men's Associate batting performance of the year
Seldom does a batter scoring 191 end up on the losing side in an ODI but O'Dowd's sensational maiden ODI century put George Munsey's epic effort in the shade, turning what looked like an improbable ask at the halfway mark into a walk in the park. It was an exhibition of two openers at the peak of their powers.
Munsey's score had taken Scotland to a daunting 369 for 6. Only twice before had a bigger target been successfully chased down in ODI history. But O'Dowd wasn't letting history get in his way.
He hit fast bowler Brandon McMullen for a four on the third ball of his innings and kept the scoreboard ticking from there on. He reached his fifty off 43 balls with a cut through point; by then he had hit eight fours.
O'Dowd powered through the 80s, dumping an above-waist-high no-ball from Mackenzie Jones over deep backward square leg and then mowing the free-hit to the deep-midwicket fence. It didn't take him long after that to reach his first ODI century.
When the required rate went above nine an over, O'Dowd quickly brought it down by smashing Mark Watt for a four and a six in the 37th over. He went past 150 off 128 balls, and fittingly hit the winning runs in the final over, launching Safyaan Sharif over long-on. Arms aloft, he raced towards his team-mates, producing a nifty victory jig.
Key moment
When O'Dowd's 111-run stand with Teja Nidamanuru ended in the 41st over, the game was still in the balance, with the required rate above nine. But Noah Croes and O'Dowd dashed any faint chances of a Scotland comeback. They recorded 37 runs in the next four overs and followed that with 17- and 14-run overs to all but seal the chase.
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The other key moment of the innings was O'Dowd's take-down of fast bowler Safyaan Sharif. He was the most economical bowler on the day for Scotland and picked up three wickets. But O'Dowd kept Sharif on his toes, taking him for 33 off 24 balls - a strike rate of 137.5, which included three fours and the match-winning six. Even when the boundaries weren't flowing, O'Dowd farmed the strike against Sharif, as his 13 singles and a double off him indicated.
The numbers
1 This was O'Dowd's first - and to date only - ODI century. It is also the highest score by a Netherlands batter in ODI cricket.
3 Where Netherlands' 374 for 6 stands on the list of highest totals by an Associate team in ODI cricket.
Closest contender
George Munsey
191 vs Netherlands, World Cup League 2, Dundee
Any other year, Munsey would probably have been a runaway winner of this award. His innings was packed with power: he slammed 191 off just 150 balls, with 14 fours and 11 sixes - the highest score by a Scotland batter in ODIs. He could have recorded a double but was out with nine balls remaining in the innings.
191 vs Netherlands, World Cup League 2, Dundee
Any other year, Munsey would probably have been a runaway winner of this award. His innings was packed with power: he slammed 191 off just 150 balls, with 14 fours and 11 sixes - the highest score by a Scotland batter in ODIs. He could have recorded a double but was out with nine balls remaining in the innings.