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18-Mar-2011 04:18:00 GMT
Ireland v Netherlands, Group B, World Cup 2011, Kolkata

Unchanged Ireland Elect to Bowl at Eden Gardens

Kolkata: Ireland skipper William Porterfield won the toss and decided to field against the Netherlands in their final World Cup match at the Eden Gardens on Friday.

Ireland are fielding the same team that were beaten by South Africa earlier this week while the Dutch brought in all-rounder Bernard Loots in place of batsman Tom de Grooth.

It could well be their last outing at the big stage for both Ireland and the Netherlands.

The two teams may disappear from the big stage for an indefinite period with the International Cricket Council aiming to trim down the next edition of the World Cup to 10 nations after the lengthy 14-team format with some dull one-sided affairs had been subject to criticism.

Irish batsman Kevin O'Brien and Dutch counterpart Ryan ten Doeschate get their last chance to repeat their big-hitting shows.

Both teams are out of contention for a place in the quarterfinals, with Ireland having secured just two points and the Dutch yet to open their account after five matches.

But the spotlight at Eden Gardens will be on O'Brien and ten Doeschate, who have already hammered rapidfire centuries against England.

Ireland, who go into the match as favourites after emerging the most impressive of non-Test-playing nations, owed their upset three-wicket victory over England to O'Brien.

The middle-order batsman smashed the fastest World Cup hundred off just 50 balls to help his side achieve a stiff 328-run target.

Ten Doeschate also enjoyed his most memorable moment in one-dayers against England, cracking a 110-ball 119 with the help of three sixes and nine fours to help his side set a challenging 293-run target.

Unlike O'Brien, the Dutchman managed to play another solid innings when he scored an unbeaten half-century against Bangladesh in the last match in Chittagong.

Ten Doeschate has so far scored 1,435 runs in 32 one-day internationals with four hundreds and nine half-centuries, while O'Brien has made 1,519 runs in 57 matches with two tons and seven half-centuries.


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