Ireland go marching on and are just one win away from the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Victory over the Netherlands this morning, by seven wickets, puts them into the Qualifying final against Namibia, back here at the Dubai International Stadium but this increasingly confident squad will be looking for two wins tomorrow.

There is still a tournament to be won and Afghanistan, whom Ireland lost to in the final of this qualifying tournament two years ago, await the winners of the Ireland-Namibia game. Revenge will be in the air twice, because it was Namibia who have inflicted the only defeat on Ireland in the UAE this time. Since then, though, it has been eight wins out of eight for the boys in blue and green.

Kevin O'Brien was the undisputed man of the match today after taking two wickets for 17 runs in his four overs, as the Dutch were restricted to 114 for seven and then, after Ireland lost two wickets in two balls in the 10th over, he finished the match with an undefeated 30 from just 22 balls with three sixes.

At halfway, it was hardly a cause for panic with Ireland just 42 away from victory and with the cool head of Ed Joyce at one end and the powerful hitting of O'Brien at the other, the finale was clinical and something the Dutch are well used to. This was Ireland's 11th successive win over the Oranjemen since they last tasted defeat at the World Cricket League in February 2007.

The Ireland batsmen had picked up where they left off in that devastating 10 wickets win over Canada yesterday with William Porterfield and Paul Stirling taking 28 off the first three overs.

Stirling, playing his 100th game for Ireland, hit his first two balls for four and only when the spinners were hastily introduced were the Dutch able to keep the runs in check. Still, Porterfield had scored a run-a-ball 17 when he holed out to long-on in the fifth over and Stirling hit four boundaries in his 33 from just 26 balls when he was adjudged leg before to the off spin of Michael Swart.

Next ball there was a shock for Gary Wilson, Ireland's highest run-scorer of the tournament before today, when he edged to slip but that was as good as it got for the Dutch. They had nowhere near enough runs on the board as the Ireland bowlers again led from the front.

Before Porterfield won the toss, Ireland had decided to name an unchanged team so although Middlesex pace bowler Tim Murtagh is now an official member of the Ireland 14, having replaced the injured Alex Cusack, he had to sit on the bench with Nigel Jones and Rory McCann.

The reason is simple; he is not required because Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin continue to bowl superbly with the new ball. This morning the Dutch hit only one boundary and scored 18 runs in the first five overs and although Alex Kervezee and Australian Tom Cooper put on 55 for the third wicket, golden arm O'Brien broke the stand and in partnership with spinners Stirling and George Dockrell restricted the Netherlands to just 42 runs in the last eight overs. Ireland were in control and another place on the global stage is within touching distance