Ireland Women cruise to 2-0 series win

Kim Garth and Isobel Joyce starred in Ireland Women's eight-wicket victory over Netherlands Women in the first of two Twenty20 games that were played at Kampong in Utrecht. Nertherlands chose to bat but were in trouble straightaway, with Garth bowling Miranda Veringmeier for a duck with the second ball of the innings. She struck again one over later to remove Caroline Salomons for 6, and when captain Helmien Rambaldo fell for 4, Netherlands were teetering at 13 for 3 after four overs.

Esther Lanser stood tall amid the wreckage, however, making 55 from 48 balls to give her team some respectability and take them past 100. But with only two other players reaching double-figures, Netherlands could only manage 106 for 8 in their 20 overs. Garth added the wicket of Denise Hannema to finish with figures of 3 for 6, and also ran out Esther de Lange for good measure, while Isobel took 2 for 21.

Ireland lost Clare Shillington early but Ceceila Joyce and Isobel added 81 together before Cecelia was bowled for 35. But Isobel made sure there were no more hiccups, remaining unbeaten on 48 and seeing Ireland home with 16 balls to spare.

Ireland Women made it two in two after beating Netherlands Women by 13 runs in the second Twenty20 game at Kampong in Utrecht. Batting first, Clare Shillington and Eimear Richardson added 51 at a run-a-ball before Richardson departed for 15. Shillington was the next to go, lbw to Esther de Lange for 33. Cecelia Joyce and Kim Garth then added a further 51, before Cecelia was run-out for 29 in the 19th over as Ireland ended up with 115 for 3.

Netherlands got off to a better start this time, with the openers adding 35 in under six overs. But Esther Lanser and Helmien Rambaldo fell within two runs of each other and the scoring rate dropped thereafter as Caroline Salomons and Violet Wattenburg struggling to get the ball away. Still, at 74 for 3 in the 16th over, Netherlands were in with a chance but the introduction of legspinner Elena Tice put paid to their hopes of evening the series. She dismissed Veringmeier, Carlijn de Groot and Wattenburg in successive overs to finish with figures of 3 for 12 and Netherlands could only limp to 102 for 7.