Ireland are one game away from the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, after a convincing seven wicket win over the Netherlands on Friday morning.

William Porterfield's side face Namibia on Saturday morning (the game will be shown LIVE on Setanta Sports 1 from 06.00 GMT) with the winners joining Afghanistan as the second Associate nation to qualify for September's 12-team tournament.

Kevin O'Brien was the man-of-the-match against the Dutch, hitting the winning runs in his 30 not out from 22 balls after taking 2-17 in his four overs.

But the Railway Union all-rounder was quick to pay tribute to opening bowlers Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin, who he believes set the tone for the victory by dismissing openers Stephan Myburgh and Michael Swart.

"Boyd and Trent have done it for four or five games in a row, consistently taking wickets at the top of the order," he said. "It makes it easier for us bowling through the middle (overs)."

Rankin bowled beautifully and his figures of 1-17 did not do him justice, with Tom Cooper in particular finding the Bready man a real handful.

Cooper (26) and Alexei Kervezee put on 55 for the third wicket in a little under eight overs, but the Netherlands got bogged down when Wesley Barresi got the crease.

The Dutch wicketkeeper could barely get the ball off the crease, and struggled horribly before being run out for six off 16 balls.

The run-out caused an explosion of anger from Ireland wicketkeeper Gary Wilson, who was keenly aware that Barresi and Kervezee had given up in the centre of the pitch. Reasoning that Ireland wanted Kervezee out and would prefer Barresi to stay, he shouted at bowler George Dockrell to throw the ball to his end.

Dockrell instinctively removed the bails at his own end to run out Barresi, and then was left to face the yelps of frustration from Wilson as Kervezee scuttled back to safety.

Dockrell more than made up for his error two balls later, though, as he caught and bowled Kervezee for 56. The 22-year-old's innings lasted 48 balls with three fours and a six, but when he went halfway through the 18th over Dutch hopes of a challenging score disappeared.

The Netherlands closed the innings on 114-7, with Peter Borren being caught by Rankin off the bowling of Paul Stirling as he attempted a maximum off the final ball.

Ireland openers Porterfield and Stirling went off at their usual brisk pace in the reply, putting on 41 for the first wicket at ten an over before Porterfield skied a catch down the ground to Cooper off the bowling of Pieter Seelaar.

Joyce calmed nerves as Stirling continued to play his shots, but Ireland had a slight wobble in the tenth over. Stirling was pinned in front of his stumps by Swart and dismissed lbw for 33 off 26 balls, then Wilson was caught at slip the very next ball as he played down the wrong line outside off stump and was caught by Borren at slip.

But Joyce's experience in such situations is invaluable, and he stroked the ball around as Kevin O'Brien settled, then let his more explosive partner take over as he got his eye in.

Joyce ended 25 not out from 33 balls, while O'Brien cleared the boundary ropes three times as Ireland cantered to victory.

They now face the Namibia side that beat them in the first match of the tournament.

Yet the Africans struggled in the qualifying final against Afghanistan on Thursday, and will come into the match on the downbeat note of a first defeat after seven successive wins in the group stages.

Ireland skipper Porterfield is happy that that the momentum seems to be with his side, with the win over the Dutch following the ten-wicket thrashing of Canada on Thursday.

"We seem to be peaking nicely - we have had two big games in the past two games, and every game is a final. It is crunch time," he said.

"We have to turn up tomorrow and start afresh, and put everything from the last two days behind us."