OAK HILL, Wicklow – Shane Getkate's unbeaten 74 off 40 for an 89-run tenth wicket partnership with Peter Chase guided Ireland Wolves to a dominating 94-run win over Netherlands A in the opening game of the series at Oak Hill Cricket Ground in Wicklow on Tuesday.

After Monday's washout, the rescheduled first game between Ireland Wolves and Netherlands A went ahead as the Dutch skipper Scott Edwards won the toss and decided to field first, with Bas de Leede dismissing both Wolves openers, William Porterfield and Stephen Doheny, with just 25 on the scoreboard in the 11th over.

That brought skipper Harry Tector and George Dockrell together, and the duo built a 92-run partnership. The two looked confident at the crease as they played through the line and kept the run rate going. Then, Dockrell on 34, forced a cover drive hard and low off Philippe Boissevain but Logan Van Beek dived one-handed and took a stunning catch just a few centimetres off the ground.

Tector scored his half-century off 60 balls, as he along with Curtis Campher sought to keep the run rate moving, however, on 69 he pulled a short-pitched ball from top edge to wide long on. 5 wickets then fell for just 37 runs to change the course of the innings completely – Tim Tector, the next man got out on 7, while Campher was tricked by a slow ball to hand a catch to mid-wicket for 16. Neil Rock lost his middle stump on 8, and Graeme McCarter and Craig Young, too, got dismissed cheaply that left the Wolves at 187-9 in the 42nd over.

Shane Getkate and Peter Chase then launched their full fledged attack on the opposition bowlers slamming 5 fours and 9 sixes between them and amassed 89 unbeaten runs for the 10th wicket in just 50 deliveries. Getkate was hostile to Bas de Leede in particular, picking 25 runs, including 4 sixes off one over. He punished anything short and ended his day on 74* off just 40 deliveries.

Chase lended great support with his unbeaten 28 from 30 balls.The 89-run partnership comfortablely surpassed the previous Wolves record of 59 for the tenth wicket, and powered the Wolves to 276-9 from their 50 overs – a score that appeared unimaginable just a few overs before.

For the Dutchs, Boissevain picked 3-46 and de Leede and Viv Kingma claimed two apiece.

Looking for a good start, the Dutch team lost Stephen Myburgh run out for 1 in the opening over owing to a Campher direct hit and then went on to lose 2 wickets in 2 balls the next over reducing them to 4-3. Craig Young had carried on to his impressive early season form at domestic level, and delivered a quick opening over, which included an edge to second slip from Vikram Singh, then trapped de Leede in front the next delivery.

Musa Nadeem (16), Scott Edwards (11) and Tony Staal (4) fell in quick succession, leaving the visitors struggling on 40-6 in the 17th over. 

Tobias Visee hit 42 from his 32 ball cameo,which was also his highest List A score, a late surge by Logan van Beek (59*) and Kingma (26) added runs to the scoreboard but the tail was eventually wiped off with Netherlands A only managing 182, handing the Wolves a comfortable 94-run victory.

The Wolves’ displayed an impressive bowling show with Young producing a great fiery spell to claim 2-37, and Shane Getkate picking 2-26.  

Getkate was named Player of the Match.

The two sides return to the same venue for the second match tomorrow.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Wolves, 1st 50-over match, Oak Hill, 11 May 2021

Wolves 276-9 (50 overs; S Getkate 74*, H Tector 69; P Boissevain 3-46)

Netherlands A 182 (45.5 overs; L van Beek 59*, T Visee 42; S Getkate 2-26)

Ireland Wolves won by 94 runs