NETHERLAND FIGHT BUT IRELAND PREVAIL

Milburn took the long handle but the Irish bowling was not providing much latitude and those shots that did connect tended to go directly to the field.

However, the pair did bring up the 50 partnership in the 40th over with the score 135 for five (Milburn 70, van der Gun 11).

McDonald returned at the southern end in the 40th over. She continued her economic contribution. At the other end the reintroduction of O'Neill brought an initial acceleration of the score but it also brought about the demise of Milburn, stumped by Dawson for a superb 71. The Netherlands 146 for six, the partnership worth 62.

Caroline de Fouw joined van der Gun (20). There was no sign that the Netherlands had accepted their fate. They brought up the 150 in the 44th over as they tried to put bat to ball. But they could not break the Irish bowling, particularly the seamer McDonald, who maintained line and length despite the batsmen's efforts to take her on.

Van der Gun should have had just reward but she fell seven short of her 50 in the 48th over, trying to swing O'Neill to the mid wicket boundary once too often, missing and being stumped by Dawson. The Netherlands 176 for seven.

Oudolf departed in the last over, bowled by Saibh Young. I86 for eight. Sandra Kottman joined de Fouw and they saw the score through to 191 for eight at the end.

McDonald one for 22 off her 10 overs, Karen Young one for 15 off five and Saibh Young two for 32 off eight led the bowling. McDonald was key, five overs for five runs at the beginning and keeping it tight at the end, her figures suffering by six through misfields.

Caitriona Beggs was named player of the match.

Result Ireland 232 for six; the Netherlands 191 for eight.

IRELAND MAINTAIN CONTROL

Caroline Salomons joined Milburn (22) and the pair began to improve the rate through taking advantage of the bad balls that even O'Neill, usually very economical, was providing. They brought the 50 up in the 21st over but still struggled to move the run rate above three an over, and certainly nowhere near the four plus required.

The left arm medium pace of Isobel Joyce replaced the spin of O'Neill, who was becoming expensive, her six overs costing 25 runs. The run rate, however, continued to slip behind the required rate. With half the scheduled overs gone, the score had reached 71, Milburn on 36, Salomons on 15.

Miriam Grealey brought her off spin on at the city end in the 26th over. The miserly captain further tightened the screws on the Netherlands. But it was at the other end that the initial damage was done. Joyce, bowling well in the gusty conditions, slipped one of her full deliveries under Salomon's bat. The Netherlands 84 for three, Salomons contributing 24 to a partnership of 47.

That was the last ball of the 29th over. On the first of the 30th, the new batsman, Teuntje de Boer, had the mortification of seeing a drive deflect off bowler Grealey's hand into her stumps to be out without facing a ball. Ireland 84 for five.

Tessa van der Gun joined Milburn and they saw the score through to 91 at the end of the 30th over, Milburn on 48.

IRISH GRIPS TIGHTENS

Barbara McDonald did not seem to be concerned. The Irish seamer was on the spot immediately and in her second over got one through Koster's defence. The Netherlands 0/1, same as the Irish.

However, the loss of an early wicket did not have the same galvanising effect on the Netherlands that it did on the Irish. Anything but. Saibh Young in her second over from the city end got one past Rambaldo and Sandra Dawson, standing up to the medium pacer, completed a smart stumping. The Netherlands five for two.

The captain, Pauline te Beest, and Rowan Milburn began the recovery. Not without a few traumas through some rough calling and enthusiastic leg before appeals.

However, they took the score through to 18 at the end of the 10th over. Catherine O'Neill with her off breaks took over from McDonald at the southern end in the 11th over.

The Netherlands pair survived to the 15th over, taking the score through to 37 for two, Milburn on 22, te Beest on 13. The occasional loose ball gave them some respite but the required run rate continued to climb.

IRELAND RUN UP A BIG ONE

Karen Young joined Beggs and they brought up the 150 in the 35th over, with the help of an 11-ball over from Oudolf as she bowled five wides.

Her indiscretion saw her replaced by Salomons at the city end while Maartje Koster returned for a second spell, this time from the southern end. De Fouw's 10 overs had cost 33 runs, economical in the context of the innings.

Koster and Salomons cut back the number of bad balls, reducing the free hits that the Irish had capitalised on. However, the wides kept coming, Koster conceding three in the 40th over as Ireland moved through to 174 for four, Beggs on 35, Young on four and extras 38.

Kottman resumed in the 44th over, this time from the southern end. To the relief of the Netherlands, who were showing signs of succumbing to the heat as the Ireland pair stepped up the quick singles, she had immediate success. She induced a very tired looking Young to push a simple catch to te Beest at mid off. Ireland 195 for six, Young contributing 14 to a partnership of 52 with Beggs.

Saibh Young came and went very quickly, run out in the 45th over. Ireland 196 for five. That brought the entrance of the Ireland quick-single expert, Nikki Squire. She arrived in time to see the score past 200 and then Beggs past her 50, off 103 balls with two boundaries

The heat was clearly having an effect, the fielding becoming ragged and the batsmen finding the ones not so easily turned into twos.

The Ireland pair maintained the pressure to the end, finishing with 232 for six, Beggs on 66 and Squire on 10, the partnership worth 36.

The Netherlands bowlers had little to be happy about, Kottman the best picking up two wickets for 38. Extras contributed 45, 41 of them coming from 28 wides.

The Netherlands will begin after lunch needing 233 to win. And the Irish will have the relief of a light breeze arriving in time to cool them in the field.

IRELAND MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

However, the Netherlands had success soon after, Salomons inducing Linehan to spear a simple catch to Oudolf at point, their tormentor gone for 54 with the score at 92 for three and the partnership worth 36.

The Ireland captain, Miriam Grealey, joined Beggs (13) and promptly brought the 100 up in the 25th over with a lofted drive over mid on. She followed it up with a pull through mid wicket and another backward of square as she took 12 off a Salomons over.

Iris Jharap with her medium pace replaced Salomons' spin at the city end in the 27th over and promptly conceded a four pulled through some lax fielding from the hapless Oudolf at square leg. With a mixture of aggressive hitting and judicious running, the Ireland pair took the score up to 126 for three at the end of the 30th over, Grealey on 23, Beggs on 19. However, on the last ball of 30th over, Beggs tried to turn de Fouw to the leg and top edged it into her face.

After a prolonged break for treatment on the pitch, she was able to continue but clearly in some discomfort.

IRELAND TAKE OFF AT HAGLEY

First they had their decision to put bowl justified when the left-arm Sandra Kottman found the edge of Cliodhna Sharp's bat in the first over and Pauline te Beest led by example with a good catch at first slip.

Catherine O'Neill joined Anne Linehan and the Netherlands had hardly finished celebrating when they found Ireland had rushed to 37 off five overs. Nineteen had come from the second over as Cheraldine Oudolf gave Linehan three free hits in succession outside leg, the batsman finishing off the over with a fourth successive four, this time through the covers. Ireland 21 for one off two overs.

Oudolf was immediately replaced at the southern end earlier than the Netherlands would have liked, Teuntje de Boer taking over.

Linehan and O'Neill continued the frenetic action taking to score to 49 by the end of the nineth over. However, te Boer and Kottman managed to apply the brakes and then had reward. In the 12th over, Rowan Milburn behind the stumps brought off a superb leg-side stumping off te Boer to remove O'Neill for 11 with the score at 56.

Caitriona Beggs joined the aggressive Linehan and they took the score through to 63 for two at the end of the 15th over.

BATTLING FOR PRIDE AT HAGLEY OVAL

Ireland will today depend on the same team that competed well against India, the injured Barbara McDonald coming through a fitness test before the match. The team are Miriam Grearley, Caitriona Beggs, Sandra Dawson, Isobel Joyce, Anne Linehan, McDonald, Catherine O'Neill, Cliodhna Sharp, Nikki Squire, Karen Young and Saibh Young with Clare Shillington 12th man.

To face the moment of truth for the Netherlands are Pauline te Beest, Caroline Salomons, Teuntje de Boer, Caroline de Fouw, Tessa van der Gun, Iris Jharap, Maartje Koster, Sandra Kottman, Rowan Milburn, Cheraldine Oudolf and Helmien Rambaldo with Elise Reynolds 12th man.

The Netherlands won the toss and put Ireland into bat on a pitch used twice this week. High cloud was almost stationary over Christchurch on a heavily humid day with even - unusual for this tournament - a hint of rain about.

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Date-stamped : 14 Dec2000 - 15:01