Scotland fall at the first hurdle

Scotland got off to a disastrous start in the ECC European Championship, collapsing to 81 all out in a 65-run loss to Netherlands at Deventer. After Netherlands were rescued from the precarious position of 82 for 8 by Daan van Bunge (47) and Edgar Schiferli (35) to reach 146, Scotland collapsed on a pitch that was very helpful to the bowlers, with extras and Craig Wright the equal high-scorers with 15.

Scotland's problems started from the very beginning of their run-chase. Gregor Maiden, not usually an opener, was bowled by Sebastiaan Gokke for 1, and Fraser Watts edged the very next ball to Jeroen Smits behind the stumps to depart for a golden duck (2 for 2). Schiferli was then lucky to take the wicket of Bruce Patterson, lbw, (6 for 3), but there was no doubt about his next wicket when he bowled Colin Smith for 8 (26 for 4).

Ryan Watson came and went quickly, caught by Smits off Darron Reekers (33 for 5), and after a 28-run stand between Wright and Dom Rigby was broken when Wright was caught behind off Feiko Kloppenburg, the game was effectively over. Scotland now have to win their next three games, starting with today's match against Denmark at Rotterdam, to have any hope of reaching the final.

Tony Judd, Scotland's coach, expressed his disappointment and frustration with Scotland's performance after the match, and said it was the worst batting display he had seen since taking charge of the team.

"We looked like a bunch of very average cricketers playing badly," he added, "while Holland looked like average players performing above themselves. We should have wiped them out for 70 or 80, but only two of our bowlers were up to the job, Craig and Paul Hoffmann. The conditions were hard, but the home guys were prepared to get their heads down and use their feet properly. I have never seen a Scottish batting display like that."

Earlier, Scotland had Netherlands in deep trouble early on, with five of the top seven batsmen falling for single figures. Mauritz van Nierop (2) was the first to fall, lbw in the third over. He was quickly followed by Darron Reekers, who was beaten for pace and bowled by Stewart Bruce (23 for 2), and Bas Zuiderent was the next to go, trapped lbw by Craig Wright for 3 (29 for 3). In an impressive spell, Paul Hoffman then bowled Tim de Leede and had Luuk van Troost caught at slip to leave the Dutch staggering at 41 for 5.

Worse followed, as Feiko Kloppenburg was bowled by Dewald Nel for a single (52 for 6), and Ian Stanger and Colin Smith combined to remove JJ Esmeijer and Jeroen Smits (82 for 8). However, van Bunge and Schiferli added 38 for the ninth wicket to take the score past 100 before van Bunge was bowled by Ryan Watson just three short of his half-century. Sebastiaan Gokke stuck around for a while, but Watson ended the innings with the score on 146 when Schiferli was caught by Stanger.