Netherlands v Ireland T20 series: Tourists seal 3-0 win with six-wicket success
- Published
Arlene Kelly finished the series with 10 wickets after again leading the Irish bowling figures with 2-20 on Thursday
Third T20 international, Amstelveen |
Netherlands 116-6 (20 overs): Zwilling 56; Kelly 2-20 |
Ireland 119-4 (19.1 overs): Stokell 33*, MacMahon 23* |
Ireland won by six wickets |
Ireland's women completed a 3-0 T20 series win over the Netherlands as they fought back from a slow start to earn a six-wicket victory in Amstelveen.
The Dutch looked in a strong position as they reached 73-1 after 10 overs.
However, they only added 46 more runs to finish on 116-6 as Iris Zwilling (56) received little support.
Ireland were 69-4 in the 13th over but a 50-run partnership between Rebecca Stokell (33) and Sophie MacMahon (23) won it with five balls to spare.
The hosts were much more competitive than they had been in the opening two games on Monday and Wednesday when Ireland clinched 10-wicket and 66-run victories.
Captain Heather Siegers (12) departed for the Dutch to leave them on 23-1 before opener Zwilling and Babette de Leede put on exactly 50 for the second wicket.
However, De Leede's run-out by Ireland wicketkeeper Amy Hunter halted the Netherlands' momentum as their next best partnership was a paltry 25 between Frederique Overdijk and Zwilling, which was ended when the opener departed after 18.5 overs after being caught on the boundary by Georgina Dempsey off a Rachel Delany delivery.
Arlene Kelly (2-20) brought up her haul of wickets during the series to 10 as she again produced Ireland's best bowling figures.
Kelly took care of the tail, helped in no small part by wicket-keeper Hunter, who claimed three stumpings.
After Hunter's early departure left Ireland on 11-1, Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast produced a 26-partnership before the latter was caught by De Leede off an Eva Lynch delivery.
Lewis was out for 20 in the eighth over to leave the Irish on 47-3 and the Dutch may have sensed an opportunity when captain Laura Delany (18) was dismissed by Phebe Molkenboer in the 13th over.
However, Stokell and MacMahon closed out the match despite only hitting three boundaries between them.
Stokell did ride her luck on numerous occasions throughout her innings as she was dropped by Phebe Molkenboer twice in two balls and also survived a stumping appeal.