25 overs Netherlands 136 for 4 (ten Doeschate 49*, Borren 16*, Stirling 1-17) v Ireland
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Two fairly evenly-matched teams struggled for the ascendancy at Eden Gardens, Ireland striking the early blows against Netherlands to reduce them to 12 for 2 inside the first three overs and then removing Alex Kervezee too before a 60-run partnership between Ryan ten Doeschate and Wesley Barresi revived the Dutch innings.
Barresi's dismissal for 44 titled the balance once again and, as is so often the case, much depends on ten Doeschate's continued efforts if Netherlands are to set a challenging total on a wicket that has looked good for batting. Ireland will have to do without George Dockrell for the remainder of the innings, as, tragically, the young spinner appeared to dislocate his right shoulder attempting to field the ball off his own bowling and immediately left the field.
Barresi had been an early casualty when he was forced to leave the field in just the second over after being hit on the back of the head by a return throw from Kevin O'Brien in the deep. The blow had come after just the second ball of the innings, but Barresi batted on for a short while before deciding he could not carry on with his innings.
His team struggled in his absence, Trent Johnston removing opener Ed Szwarczynski with a catch behind the wicket and Tom Cooper failing to cover Boyd Rankins extra bounce as he cut straight to William Porterfield at point. Kervezee struggled to deal with the early bounce and movement from both of Ireland's new-ball bowlers, but ten Doeschate soon settled and looked to assert himself with a series of attacking strokes.
Johnston, who had generally maintained an exemplary line, was dispatched for two boundaries in an over and Rankin too was punished whenever he over-pitched. John Mooney's first over brought eight runs and Netherlands' recovery was in full flow when Kervezee gave his wicket away, pushing a length delivery straight into the hands of Kevin O'Brien at short extra cover.
Barresi re-entered and immediately set about the Irish bowling, lifting Rankin into the stands at midwicket and, in the midst of a flurry of boundaries, repeating the dose off Paul Stirling's offspin to enter the 40s. Stirling got his own back when he trapped Barresi in front of his stumps shortly afterwards, but Dockrell's injury noticeably dampened Ireland's mood and they will no doubt miss his services in attempting to restrict Netherlands.
Ireland: 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O'Brien (wk), 5 Gary Wilson, 6 Kevin O'Brien, 7 Alex Cusack, 8 John Mooney, 9 Trent Johnston, 10 George Dockrell, 11 Boyd Rankin
Netherlands : 1 Ed Szwarczynski, 2 Wesley Barresi (wk), 3 Tom Cooper, 4 Ryan ten Doeschate, 5 Alex Kervezee, 6 Peter Borren (capt), 7 Atse Buurman (wk), 8 Mudassar Bukhari, 9 Pieter Seelaar, 10 Adeel Raja, 11 Bernard Loots
Liam Brickhill is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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