Netherlands out to rediscover T20 World Cup highs
***
Through T20 World Cup history, the Netherlands have regularly tasted brilliant one-off success. Who could forget their famous victories against England in 2009 and 2014, respectively?
Turning those victories into tournaments of note has sometimes proved a challenge but they've tasted the pointy end of a T20 World Cup before, and with a combination of both youth and experience in their ranks, they will be hopeful of doing so again. Having taken out the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019, they have every reason to be confident.
Ahead of their opening Round 1 fixture against Ireland, on 18 October, we take a deeper delve into their squad.
Netherlands enjoyed the most auspicious of tournament debuts in 2009 as they registered a memorable win against England at Lord's in the opening match of the event. Chasing 163 for victory, they got home on the very last ball. Though they failed to make it out of their group, on the virtue of net run-rate, there were positive signs to build upon for the future.
Unfortunately, those signs did not come to fruition immediately as they failed to qualify for the 2010 and 2012 editions of the tournament.
When they returned in 2014, they did so in style, topping their Round 1 group courtesy of wins over the United Arab Emirates and Ireland to qualify for the second stage. That win against Ireland was something special too, as they chased down a total of 190 in less than 14 overs.
It was in the next stage that they once again managed to knock over England, winning by 45 runs this time around. Unfortunately for the team, the victory came in their final game of the tournament.
That remains their last win in the second stage of a T20 World Cup having finished second in their Round 1 group in 2016, behind Bangladesh.
But with proven match-winners like Ryan Ten Doeschate, Ben Cooper, Roelof van der Merwe and Pieter Seelaar in their ranks, the Dutch will be hopeful of returning to the second stage of the T20 World Cup this month and then bettering their previous best tournament performance.
The familiar faces of the squad are this year joined by a raft of relatively new names, who will undoubtedly be hungry to make their marks. It will be now up to head coach Ryan Campbell to work out how he forges the two together to make a dogged side, capable of competing with the best that international cricket has to offer.
Pieter Seelaar (c), Colin Ackermann, Philippe Boissevain, Ben Cooper, Bas de Leede, Scott Edwards, Brandon Glover, Fred Klaassen, Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren
18 Oct – v Ireland
20 Oct – v Namibia
22 Oct – v Sri Lanka
**Best finish:**Super 10s (2014)
The Dutch were in sensational form during the 2014 edition of the tournament in Bangladesh, reaching the Super 10 stage. Slotted in Group B of the first round along with Zimbabwe, Ireland and the UAE, Netherlands won two matches to book a place in the second phase of the tournament.
Pitted in a tough Group 1 consisting of Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and England, the Dutch performed admirably well, finishing with two points on the board. Those two points came via a famous victory against England in Chittagong, where they bowled out Stuart Broad's men for 88 in defence of a target of 134.
Max O'Dowd
Max O'Dowd has slowly but surely cultivated a reputation as an able and versatile batter for Netherlands. Known for his ball-striking abilities, O'Dowd became the first batter to score a T20I century for the Dutch.
Now having gained significant experience in the international arena, the 27-year old will be expected to lead the charge for Netherlands with the bat. He has played 40 matches, scoring 1038 runs at an average of 28.83 and striking at 125.21. He can also contribute some right-arm off-spin, which could come in handy in Oman.
Pieter Seelaar
Tasked with leading the side, the calming presence of Pieter Seelaar will be key for the Dutch hopes of getting out of Round 1. A veteran of 15 years in international cricket, Seelaar has experienced the various highs and lows of Dutch cricket.
Having played 74 matches, Seelaar has picked up 56 wickets and his brand of bowling will be perfect in the low and slow conditions of UAE and Oman. He will look to contain the flow of runs and will also be a handy presence with the bat, having scored 568 runs in his career with a highest of 96*.
Ireland - 18 October
The two nations have cultivated quite a rivalry over the years, having played in various contests against each other in both the 20-over and 50-over formats.
The two sides have faced off 12 times in T20 internationals, with the Dutch holding the edge with seven victories to four. They will hope to extend upon this lead in their opening fixture against the Irish on October 18 in Abu Dhabi, as a victory will be vital for either side to reach the next stage.