Guernsey end T20 World Cup campaign with Dutch loss

Netherlands' batters knew they had to get a big score in their game with Guernsey

ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier, Voorburg Cricket Club, The Hague

Netherlands 172-1 (20 overs): O'Dowd 92*, Edwards 48*

Guernsey 99-9 (20 overs): Bradley 26, Martel 18* ; Levitt 3-11

Netherlands win by 73 runs

Match scorecard

Guernsey's first ever campaign in the final stages of qualification for the T20 World Cup ended with a 73-run loss to hosts the Netherlands.

The Sarnians lost all three games that they played in The Hague, with the match against Scotland on Sunday being abandoned due to rain.

The Dutch made 172-1 off their 20 overs as Max O'Dowd hit a tournament-best 92 not out.

In reply, Guernsey could only make 99-9 from their 20 overs.

The win moved Netherlands up to second place in the qualifying group behind leaders Italy, who beat Scotland earlier on Wednesday.

The top two play each other on Friday with the winners guaranteed a place in the 2026 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Guernsey's Channel Island rivals Jersey face Scotland in Friday's first match - and should Italy go on to beat the Dutch, then the winner between the two British teams would qualify.

Knowing they needed a win to stay in the hunt to again reach the T20 World Cup - and that net run rate could be key - the Dutch wasted little time in putting runs on the board.

They raced to 56 before losing their first wicket at the end of the seventh over when Michael Levitt was caught by Tom Nightingale off Martin Dale Bradley for 25, made from 23 balls.

Opening partner O'Dowd reached his 16th T20 international half-century off 32 balls as the Netherlands brought up their 100 at the start of the 13th over.

Bradley was the pick of the Guernsey bowlers with figures of 1-28 from his four overs as the islanders managed to restrict the scoring rate by O'Dowd and skipper Scott Edwards as the innings went on.

Despite that, they could not remove the pair, who shared an unbroken second wicket stand of 116, O'Dowd finishing on 92 not out off 57 balls, with 11 fours and a six, while Edwards made 48 off 40.

In reply, Guernsey got off to another poor start - opener Ben Fitchet making one, Nightingale six and Matt Stokes two as they slipped to 38-3 off 7.1 overs.

Bradley - who opened the batting - provided some resistance with 26 off 25 balls before was caught to leave the score on 43-5 in the 10th.

Zak Damarell (14), Ben Ferbrache (16) and Adam Martel (18 not out) also reached double figures but Guernsey 's only consolation was to avoid being bowled out in their 20 overs.