Milestone Zwilling cannot prevent Ireland's third win
Published at 17 August, 2023The third and final T20I against Ireland was won by the visitors. However, Ireland had to work harder than earlier this week and that was a credit to the Dutch, who set their highest total of the week thanks to a maiden half century from Iris Zwilling (56). Had the catching opportunities been taken, the Orange would have recorded a historic victory.
Just like on Wednesday, Iris Zwilling and Heather Siegers gave the Netherlands a smooth start. Zwilling was almost caught at mid wicket. Siegers (12, including a nice straight drive) wasn’t so lucky (23/1). Iris Zwilling hit Orla Prendergast for sixteen runs (2x6, 1x4) in one over; 54/1 after the Powerplay of six overs was the result.
Unfortunately, the run rate dropped a bit after the unnecessary run out of Babette de Leede (14), but Iris Zwilling (56 out of 58) played her best T20I innings to date. With the support of Frédérique Overdijk (12), the Orange team took the best score of the week to 116/6 of the available twenty overs. Irish keeper Amy Hunter had three stumpings.
Ireland raced to 11/0 in the first over, but Isabel van der Woning had Hunter LBW straightaway. Off her bowling, Prendergast gave away a (too) difficult catching opportunity. That miss was not expensive, because Eva Lynch enabled Babette de Leede to stump Prendergast (37/2). The decision to bring Rijke into the attack also had an immediate effect: she cleaned Gaby Lewis (20) with an identical ball to the one on Wednesday (47/3).
Phebe Molkenboer, who was bowling well, unfortunately could not cling on to two c&b chances from Stokell, otherwise the Netherlands could have put even more pressure on Ireland. Two overs later, however, Overdijk grabbed a sharp catch at point: 69/4. Merel Dekeling could have had a wicket if the Netherlands had had the guts to field in a more attacking fashion with MacMahon and Stokell batting. Great stops from Siegers in the covers and Rijke on the boundary ensured that Ireland had to pull out all the stops. However, a drop and a misfield didn't help and the Irish still got the win in 19.1 overs.
It was a week in which the Netherlands got better and better. If the catching and running between the wickets gets better, there are undoubtedly chances of winning in the future.
