The Netherlands play Papua New Guinea in Saturday's final, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3.20pm
Saturday 2 November 2019 08:14, UK
The Netherlands beat Ireland by 21 runs in Dubai on Friday to reach the final of the ICC World T20 Qualifier.
Both teams have already qualified for next year's T20 World Cup in Australia by virtue of finishing as one of the top six sides in the tournament, but it will be the Netherlands who now have the chance of being crowned competition champs when they face either Papua New Guinea in Saturday's final.
Seasoned county cricket veteran for Essex Ryan ten Doeschate starred with the bat for the Dutch, striking three boundaries and two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 43 off 22 balls, while Ben Cooper (37 off 35) and Roelof van der Merwe (25no off 16) too contributed to a total of 158-4.
Ireland's run-chase got off to a rip-roaring start, with openers Paul Stirling (29 off 24) and Kevin O'Brien (22 off 22) bringing up a fifty partnership inside seven overs.
But slow-left-arm spinner Van der Merwe (2-19) came into the attack and removed both to turn the game, first picking up O'Brien caught in the deep in his opening over and then bowling Stirling in his second.
The rest of the innings followed suit, with the Ireland batsmen completely flummoxed by spin, as Netherlands skipper Pieter Seelaar claimed 3-17 to run through the middle order - Ireland ultimately falling well short on 137-9.
Watch the final of the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3.20pm on Saturday. Watch Ireland in the third-place playoff against Namibia beforehand, from 10am.
