ICC/CricketEurope

The Netherlands qualified for Friday's third place play off as they overcame Jersey by the comfortable margin of seven wickets at Comber.

With the forecast of rain approaching, the match began an hour early with Jersey winning the toss and deciding to bat. Ironically the rain never came and the match was played through without any interruptions!

Jersey began confidently with openers John Borg and Ben De Figueiredo putting on a 51 run partnership before Borg was bowled by Peter Van Den Brandelar. The same bowler then removed Sam De La Haye with only one run added to the total. Within a few overs Jersey had slumped to 70 for four with the loss of De Figueiredo for 33, including four boundaries.

Ben Stevens and Aidan McGuire then added 28 in a careful fifth wicket partnership before mcGuire was run out by a direct hit from mid on. Stevens departed with the total on 123, having made 20 from 49 balls. This brought together Tim De La Haye and Daniel McAviney who gradually accumulated runs through a mixture of watchful defence and quick running betwen the wickets. However, De La Haye fell to a quite brilliant catch by Kingma at cover for 28, the first of three quick wickets for Tim Gruitjers.

The Jersey innings finished on 168 for nine, a total which had seemed unlikely fifteen overs earlier. Pick of the Dutch bowlers were Van Der Brandelar (2 for 27 in his ten overs) and Gruitjers (3 for 23 in ten overs).

The Dutch openers, Quirijn Gunning and Tobias Visee, began very briskly, adding 39 in eight overs before Gunning hit a full toss straight back to Paul Connolly. Visee continued to bat agressively and the score moved briskly to 72 when McGuire brought one back sharply to beat Kingma's defences. Visee hit the first ball of the next over from Ben Stevens back over the bowler's head for his second six but then immediately holed out to Tim De La Haye on the mid wicket boundary. Visee's 37 came off 43 balls and also included five boundaries.

That was to prove to be the final success for the Jersey bowlers as Dennis Coster and Gruitjers took complete command of the situation, dealing severely with anything that was over-pitched or off line. They took The Netherlands to victory with more than 12 overs remaining, both finishing on 37 and both notching up four boundaries.

A very straightforward victory for the Dutch side but for Jersey it was further valuable experience for them as they come to terms with playing in the top division.