UTRECHT, Netherlands – A resurgent Netherlands bounced back from their eight-wicket loss in Game two to register a comfortable four-wicket victory over Ireland in the third and final ODI of the series at SV Kampong in Utrecht on Monday.
Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie won the toss for the first time in the series, and opted to bat. However, the Irish side got off to a poor start with Kevin O’Brien, who was recalled to the side in place of William Porterfield, got bowled for a zero, and talisman Paul Stirling edged behind for 5. Balbirnie and Harry Tector attempted to stabilise the innings, but with the score on 28 it was Balbirnie who got dismissed for 13.
Tector and George Dockrell then put up 89 for the third wicket. The duo played without fuss, turning the strike over regularly, punctuated by periodic boundaries – especially some textbook cover drives from both batsmen.
Attempting to accelerate the scoreboard, Dockrell was bowled for 40 when a ball from Logan van Beek pitched at good length but virtually ran along the ground, striking his off stump.
Harry Tector notched up his first ODI half-century from 86 balls, which was an innings of calm and measured batting.
However, Tector fell soon after on 58, leaving Ireland at 128-5 in the 37th over. In the final analysis of the game, van Beek’s dismissal of both Dockrell and Tector dramatically shifted the momentum of the game, from which Ireland never recovered.
Needing a lower order heroics, the Irish batsmen suddenly struggled to find runs and the wicket played its part with increasingly uneven bounce. The hosts lost their last 6 wickets for just 37 runs, and were all out in the 50th over for 163.
Requiring early breakthroughs in the Dutch innings, the Irish bowlers watched as the Netherlands batsmen rode their luck early. A six from the first ball set the tone, as Man of the Match Stephan Myburgh (74) and Max O’Dowd (36) set to chase down the target. The Dutch openers contributed 66 for the first wicket to put the hosts in charge.
A switch from the fast bowlers to the spin of Simi Singh delivered the first wicket of O’Dowd, followed by Barry McCarthy dismissing Scott Edwards in the next over, but a 29-run partnership for the third wicket kept the Dutch camp in a comfortable spot.
While four further wickets fell, the Netherlands sealed the run chase comfortably to win the game by four wickets with 25 balls left.
With regards to the World Cup Super League, Netherlands bagged 20 points and Ireland picked 10 points from this series. Ireland’s next World Cup Super League fixtures are against South Africa in July at home.
MATCH SUMMARY
Netherlands Men v Ireland Men, 3rd ODI, Utrecht, 7 June 2021
Ireland 163 (49.2 overs; H Tector 58, G Dockrell 40; F Klaassen 3-23, L van Beek 3-29)
Netherlands 166-6 (45.5 overs; S Myburgh 74, M O’Dowd 36; S Singh 3-29)
Netherlands won by 4 wickets
