Ireland choke Netherlands for 110, then stroll home
Netherlands blinked first, and Ireland never let them back in. In Match 10 of the Europe Division 1 road to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier, Ireland Women bowled out Netherlands Women for just 110 in 18.5 overs and knocked off the chase at 111/3 in 19.1. It was brisk, controlled, and the kind of win that keeps a campaign moving in the right direction.
This wasn’t a perfect display from Ireland with the ball—16 wides tell their own story—but the pressure never let up. Wickets arrived in clusters, partnerships never stuck, and every attempt by Netherlands to reset hit a wall. Arlene Kelly set the tone and finished with three scalps, while support from Jane Maguire, Leah Paul and the fielders made the difference.
Netherlands chose to bat and were on the back foot almost at once. Early dots turned into early wickets. By the end of the powerplay, they had already burned through batters while going nowhere. Merel Dekeling and Babette de Leede tried to steady things, but as the run rate crept, so did the mistakes.
Here’s how the innings unraveled, wicket by wicket:
- 11/1 (3.0 ov): Phebe Molkenboer out
- 37/2 (6.4 ov): Merel Dekeling out
- 67/3 (10.5 ov): Babette de Leede out
- 81/4 (12.3 ov): Frederique Overdijk run out (Gaby Lewis/Christina Coulter Reilly)
- 89/5 (14.1 ov): Myrthe van den Raad c Jane Maguire b Leah Paul
- 93/6 (15.1 ov): Iris Zwilling b Jane Maguire
- 97/7 (16.2 ov): Robine Rijke out
- 97/8 (16.5 ov): Caroline de Lange c Cara Murray b Arlene Kelly
- 110/9 (18.4 ov): Sanya Khurana c Gaby Lewis b Arlene Kelly
- 110 all out (18.5 ov): Silver Siegers b Arlene Kelly
Those numbers show the story. At 67/3 in the 11th over, Netherlands still had a platform. Eight overs later they were gone, losing seven wickets for 43. The worst of it came after 12.3 overs—six wickets fell for 29 runs to close the innings. Ireland’s lines were not always clean, but they were relentless with length and field settings. Cutters gripped, the leg-side trap worked, and singles dried up.
Kelly’s spell was the highlight. She struck in the middle and at the death, removing set and new batters alike. Maguire’s middle-overs hit on Zwilling mattered too—every time Netherlands looked for a release, a wicket followed. Leah Paul, accurate as ever, pried open the lower middle order. The run-out that removed Overdijk summed up Ireland’s alert fielding: quick pick-up, sharp throw, no hesitation.
Netherlands’ score had a sliver of help from extras, with those 16 wides padding the total. But apart from a brief hand from Dekeling and de Leede, there was no anchor to bat around. Boundaries were scarce, strike rotation stalled, and the innings kept resetting itself after every wicket.
Chasing 111 rarely needs fireworks; it needs patience. Ireland showed exactly that. Even after an early nick saw Christina Coulter Reilly depart for 2 off 7, Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast kept the chase calm. They trusted the surface, picked gaps, and stacked low-risk runs. The stand didn’t kill the game in ten overs, but it made sure Netherlands never felt a chance was coming.
Lewis top-scored with 56 off 55, steady and uncluttered, before falling late. Prendergast’s 49 from 44 sat perfectly alongside it—busy at the crease, crisp through cover, and happy to take the one when the boundary wasn’t on. When Lewis exited, the job was basically done. Amy Hunter (3* off 7) and captain Laura Delany (0* off 2) finished it with seven balls left.
Netherlands’ bowlers fought to keep a lid on the chase. Iris Zwilling worked her angles for 1/24 in four, mixing lengths well. Hannah Landheer deserved her 2/17, finding both edges and pads. The problem was the target: 110 gives you no cushion. Every inside edge that doesn’t carry and every single through midwicket hurts that little bit more.
On balance, Ireland won the little battles: ground fielding, running between wickets, and pressure at the start of each phase. Even with that stack of wides, they controlled tempo better. The middle overs with the ball and the first ten overs with the bat were decisive—and clean cricket tends to show up there.
The two points keep Ireland in a strong spot on the table and nudge their net run rate upward. That matters in these short regional events, where one tight finish can swing the standings. It also backs up Ireland’s earlier win over the same opponents on August 21, reinforcing the gap between the sides on this tour.
For Netherlands, this loss points to the same issues that appeared in the previous meeting: soft dismissals after doing the hard work and a mid-innings drift that flips control. The dot-ball count climbed, shots got forced, and the collapse followed. The fix is clear enough—bat through the middle, keep a set batter to the end, and trust the last five overs to lift the rate. Without that, even tidy spells from Zwilling and Landheer won’t turn games.
For Ireland, there’s plenty to like. Kelly looks in rhythm, Maguire and Paul have their roles down, and the top order has shape. If they shave down the extras, they’ll turn good days into emphatic ones more often. The path ahead will likely bring tighter contests, but the template from this match—new-ball pressure, sharp fielding, and a calm chase—travels well.
Scorecard snapshot and talking points
Ireland Women 111/3 in 19.1 overs (Gaby Lewis 56, Orla Prendergast 49; IJR Zwilling 1/24, HWA Landheer 2/17) beat Netherlands Women 110 all out in 18.5 overs (extras included 16 wides; Arlene Kelly 3 wickets; run-out: Overdijk via Lewis/Coulter Reilly) by 7 wickets.
- Momentum swing: Netherlands were 67/3 at 10.5 overs and 81/4 at 12.3; from there they lost 6 for 29.
- Fielding edge: Ireland’s direct involvement in a key run-out broke a rebuilding phase.
- Control in the chase: After an early wicket, Lewis and Prendergast kept the rate under control without risk.
- Table stakes: Ireland bank two points and a net run rate lift, staying on track for the next stage of qualification.
The schedule throws quick turnarounds in this Division 1 leg, so recovery and clarity matter. Ireland look settled and sure of their roles. Netherlands need a reset—fewer dots, smarter strike rotation, and a higher bar for their middle order. In tournaments this short, one fixed habit can change a team’s ceiling.
