Ireland One Step Away From ICC WT20 Qualification

23 March 2012

Kevin O'Brien (left) took two wickets and hit an unbeaten 30 in 22 balls as Ireland beat the Netherlands by seven wickets

©International Cricket Council

Ireland 115-3 (Stirling 33, O'Brien 30no) beat
Netherlands 114-7 (Kervezee 56) by 7 wickets
ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, Dubai

Ireland are one step away from qualification for the ICC World Twenty20 2012 after they beat the Netherlands by seven wickets in their latest play-off in Dubai.

Paul Stirling hit 33 and Kevin O'Brien an unbeaten 30 as they successfully overhauled the Netherlands' score of 114 for seven with three overs and two balls remaining.

They will now play Namibia for the right to reach the finals in Sri Lanka later this year and the overall qualifier final against Afghanistan.

The Netherlands looked well set to post a bigger score as Alexei Kervezee (56) and Tom Cooper (26) put on 55 for the third wicket but lost their way after Cooper was dismissed.

A brace of wickets for O'Brien and one apiece for Trent Johnson, Boyd Rankin, George Dockrell and Paul Stirling limited the Netherlands to a modest score.

Stirling then blasted 33 in 26 balls to get Ireland off to a flyer while William Porterfield hit 17 and Ed Joyce an unbeaten 25 to guide Ireland home with plenty to spare.

O'Brien faced just 22 balls, hitting a four and three sixes.

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Ireland One Step Away From ICC WT20 Qualification