ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

NETHERLANDS v CANADA Ryan ten Doeschate dominated the first day’s play from the moment that Canada chose to bat in this, the second of the Dutch home games played on neutral ground. He accounted for both openers of a Canadian side weakened by the absence of John Davison, Ian Billcliff and Geoff Barnett. Playing off-season in the southern hemisphere favoured the Dutch in ensuring the availability of ten Doeschate, whereas three of Canada’s leading players were fulfilling cricket commitments in Australia and New Zealand. Ashish Bagai and Qaiser Ali added 54 for the third wicket before left-arm spinner Mohammad Kashif, in the last three overs before lunch, picked up three wickets, two in consecutive balls to leave him on a hat-trick over the interval. The hat-trick was completed first ball after lunch before ten Doeschate almost performed another hat-trick, taking three wickets in four balls to leave Canada on 87 for nine. Umar Bhatti and Henry Osinde took the score to 103 in a last-wicket stand but ten Doeschate returned to bowl Osinde and finish with a return of six wickets for 20. Osinde trapped Bas Zuiderent leg-before to give Canada some hope that this was a bowler’s wicket, but this was soon dispelled by Eric Szwarczynski and ten Doeschate as they put on 110. After Szwarczynski became Osinde’s second victim, the Dutch suddenly collapsed, losing four more wickets for the addition of only 41 runs. Peter Borren attacked the bowling, giving useful support to ten Doeschate who passed his hundred off only 116 balls, his fourth consecutive century in the Intercontinental Cup. By the close they had added 80 for the seventh wicket and the Dutch led by 136 runs with four wickets in hand. The first half of day two also belonged to ten Doeschate as he extended his score to a maiden first-class double-hundred. The remaining Dutch batsmen all gave good support in terms of time at the crease, if not in runs. The innings could have lasted even longer but for some controversial umpiring decisions. With the Canadians using the spin bowlers and the fieldsmen crowded round the bat, the umpires were subjected to a succession of appeals. Borren was given out after moving down the wicket to drive Sunil Dhaniram. At first it was thought he was caught at silly point by Sandeep Jyoti, even though the ball came off the pads; later it was confirmed he was leg-before, despite playing a stroke and the ball apparently striking the pads outside the off stump. Jeroen Smits was deemed to have been caught at short square leg but, again, may not have managed to get bat on ball. These incidents were fortunately overshadowed by ten Doeschate’s performance. By the time he ran out of partners, he had batted for over six and a half hours and broken the Intercontinental Cup record for the highest individual score, made in the previous match by David Hemp of Bermuda. Canada’s second innings alternatively prospered and faltered. Again it was the third-wicket pair of Bagai and Qaiser Ali who provided the foundation in a partnership of 88 which was ended when Bagai was given out leg-before, after the Dutch had made repeated appeals against both batsmen. Two further wickets were lost cheaply before Don Maxwell accompanied Qaiser Ali in an undefeated partnership of 41. But Canada were still 112 runs in arrears at the end of the second day. Qaiser Ali and Maxwell batted superbly on the third morning, adding a further 143 runs in just 33 overs. Under pressure for the first time in the match, the Dutch bowlers failed to respond. The spinners lost their length, the pace bowlers lost direction and the Dutch fielding deteriorated. Qaiser Ali reached his maiden first-class century. The sixth-wicket stand totalled 184 before Maxwell drove Kashif into the hands of Borren at long on. Umar Bhatti helped Qaiser Ali take the Canadian total past 400 before Qaiser Ali’s innings was ended by the second delivery of the second new ball, which he edged to first slip. He batted nearly four and a half hours and made his runs at an impressive strike rate of 88.3. Two more quick wickets and it looked as though Canada’s fightback would soon be over but Umar Bhatti had other ideas and, assisted by Henry Osinde, 55 runs were added for the last wicket. Osinde finally got too bold, charged down the wicket to a leg-break from Daan van Bunge, and was stumped. The Netherlands needed 180 to win and scored freely, as Zuiderent and Tom de Grooth opened with a partnership of 122. Canada used nine bowlers before the breakthrough was made. Smits claimed the extra half-hour and although The Netherlands lost two more wickets, they reached the target easily, the winning runs being made appropriately by the outstanding player of the match, ten Doeschate. This first win by the Dutch in the competition put them second in the group, but still well behind Canada who qualified for the final. Ryan ten Doeschate became the thirteeth player to score over 250 and take five or more wickets in a first-class match. In the three Intercontinental Cup matches of the 2006-07 competition, his tally was 686 runs at an average of 228.66. 102 ICC Intercontinental Cup 2006-07