ten Doeschate stars as Netherlands win

The Netherlands impressed with first ball and then bat to open their ICC World Cricket League Division 1 campaign with an eight-wicket triumph over Canada in Ruaraka on Tuesday.

The North Americans were all out for 200 after winning the toss and electing to bat, the last five wickets falling for just three runs with highly-rated youngster Ryan ten Doeschate claiming four for 31.

Peter Cantrell's side proceeded to race to their victory target, man-of-the-match Bas Zuiderent hitting his highest one-day international score of 77 with fellow opener Darron Reekers (39), Luuk van Troost (38) and ten Doeschate (37) also making decent contributions.

Canada captain John Davison's decision to bat - passing up the chance to have a first bowl at a Dutch side which only touched down in Nairobi on Friday - was an unexpected one. And in fact it was the Netherlands that looked the most lively early on, knocking over the two Canadian openers within four overs.

Davison was the first to depart, making a brisk 16 before mis-timing an attempted big hit and providing Van Troost with a simple catch at mid-off off the bowling of Edgar Schiferli. The skipper had just been dropped by Daan van Bunge at first slip off Reekers, but it did not prove a costly mistake.

Davison was followed back to the pavilion in the very next over by his opening partner Abdool Samad, who was caught - at the second attempt - and bowled by Reekers without having troubled the scorers.

At 18 for two and with two new batsmen at the crease, the Netherlands smelt blood. Bagai rode his luck on two occasions, seeing chances dropped by Van Bunge at first slip off Schiferli and then by Tim de Leede at mid-wicket off ten Doeschate.

His partners, however, were not so fortunate.

First Qaiser Ali edged a William Stelling delivery to Reekers at second slip after adding nine to the total and then Desmond Chumney, after making six, lashed another Stelling ball to cover, where Zuiderent made no mistake.

Ashif Mulla managed to hang around for a while, making 37 and sharing a 71-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Bagai before being caught by wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits off the bowling of De Leede.

The Netherlands only just qualified for this year's ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 by finishing fifth at the ICC Trophy 2005, but ten Doeschate then went on to show why he could be one of the stars in the Caribbean in March.

The Essex man took four quick wickets as the Canadians slumped from 197 for five to 200 all out with more than six overs remaining of the 50.

Ten Doeschate first dismissed Sunil Dhaniram for 29 and then, crucially, had Samad brilliantly caught behind by Smits for 75 with the next ball.

Veteran former West Indies international Anderson Cummins became Stelling's third victim, trapped leg before wicket for a duck.

Ryan ten Doeschate then returned to centre stage, having both Umar Bhatti and Kevin Sandhar caught behind - again in successive deliveries.

The Netherlands came out after lunch looking like they were in a hurry.

Reekers looked to have set himself for a long innings before inexplicably mis-hooking an Osinde delivery down the leg side, Bagai taking the catch.

Van Troost played some fine strokes but went for one big hit too many and was clean bowled by Osinde.

With the score on 131 for two, ten Doeschate then came out to join Zuiderent in the middle and the pair saw the Netherlands safely home with 16 overs to spare.