Holland, at this tournament, were seeking a European Cup hat-trick having won in Holland in 1998 and in Scotland in 2000. It was not to be. On the first day of this year's tournament they lost, astonishingly, to Italy by one run. They left out two of their stars and changed their normal batting order. Then England beat them easily. So Holland were not going to win the Cup but Ireland still had hopes if they could beat both Holland and England (ECB) in their last two matches. Recent form did not forecast an Irish win -v- Holland having lost to them in various tournaments in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

Ireland did win but the margin showed the underlying strength of the Holland team. Due to a wet ground the match could not start until 2.15 p.m. and was reduced to 37 overs per team. Sent in Ireland made 193 for eight, a rate of just over five runs per over. Nobody made more than 35 but a sixth wicket stand of 53 between McCallan and Mooney rescued the innings. Then there was a remarkable Holland collapse and recovery. In 9.5 overs Holland were 17 for five but recovered to finish 12 runs short of winning, numbers seven to 11 all scoring at least 14 runs each.

Ireland fielded the same XI that beat Italy but Armstrong was used as a "pinch hitter" and partnered Molins. This did not work from a rapid scoring point of view. Only 22 came in six overs from the opening bowlers Schiferli and Lefebvre. Off the last ball of the sixth over Armstrong was LBW to Lefebvre. 22-1-9. White came in and saw Molins have an escape, when 12, in the next over. Mid-wicket running back failed to hold a very difficult catch. 51 was up in 11 overs, 29 coming in the last five.

Then Van Troost replaced Lefebvre, one quick bowler for another. Van Troost's fourth ball accounted for Molins - a fine stumping by the wicket-keeper standing up. 53-2-29. Joyce, not in great form, joined White. De Leede had replaced Schiferli and bowled four overs for 29 but saw White (10) dropped at short extra by Van Troost off an absolute dolly catch with the score still on 53. This was expensive as this third wicket pair put on 38 more after the drop.

White swung De Leede over square leg for a six in the 15th over. Raja, medium pacer, was tried and in his second over took two wickets in five balls. White was caught at slip for 35 off only 32 balls. 91-3-35. Then Davy facing only his second ball was brilliantly caught one handed diving to his right at square leg by Van Troost. This was in contrast to his earlier miss. 96-4-0.

McCallan joined Joyce and the score was exactly 100 after 20 overs. This 20th over was bowled by Esmeijer, a slow left armer. He, also, took a wicket in his second over. Joyce advanced but was nowhere near the pitch of the ball and was stumped. 112-5-16. Ireland were scoring at a reasonable rate but losing too many wickets when Mooney joined McCallan. Mooney had no batting form, 51 runs in five innings, but here he made a valuable 26. The stand with McCallan put on a much needed 53 in only 57 balls so there were very few "dot" balls by either player. Both Raja and Esmeijer suffered and there was a double change after 27 overs. Van Troost and Schiferli returned. 150 came in over 29. Then, in over 32 (Van Troost) there was a dropped catch (Mooney, hard to deep extra cover) and, next ball, McCallan lobbed a catch back to the bowler. 165 for six and McCallan's 34 came in 42 balls.

Heasley came in and lost Mooney two balls later. Heasley hit a single to square leg but Mooney set off for a silly second run, was sent back, but was run out for 26 off 27 balls. 166 for seven. O'Brien arrived but Van Troost got Heasley in the 34th over. He played back missed and was bowled. 176-8-4. No more wickets fell in the last three overs as O'Brien and McDaid busily accumulated 17 runs both finishing with 11 not out.

193 was a rate of 5.2 per over but the rate never really arose in the Holland innings although they were 127 after 30 overs but seven wickets were down and the eighth wicket fell in the next over. Lefebvre only bowled six overs. He was captain and could have bowled eight. He gave up 22 runs. Van Troost did bowl eight and had three for 30. De Leede and Esmeijer bowled nine overs between them for 55 runs. Despite a splendid recovery the match was effectively over after 9.5 overs of the Dutch innings. By that time Holland were 17 for five. Mooney and Neely had taken two wickets each and Mooney had brought off a run out with a forty yard direct hit from third man.

The wickets began to fall with the first ball of the seventh over when the score was 12. Then, in 23 balls, the score was 17 for five. Van Bunge & Zulfiqar opened. Zulfiqar lobbed a catch to mid-on off Mooney. 12-1-3. Four balls later in the same over, Van Bunge skied to long leg. It was very high and Neely ran a long way to bring off the catch. 13-2-5. The left handed Van Noortwijk was caught low at square leg by White off the last ball of Neely's fourth over. 15-3-1. Two wickets fell in Neely's fifth over. The left handed Mol ran a single to third man. He then called a second and Mooney hit the bowler's wicket from 40 yards. 17-4-3. Van Troost joined De Leede and was LBW to his fourth ball which hit pad before hitting the bat. Van Troost left with considerable reluctance. 17-5-0

From then on Holland recovered and gave every indication that, but for the extraordinary early collapse, might well have won. The remaining five partnerships put on 38, 56, 22, 17 and an unbroken 32 for the last wicket. The six remaining batsmen all got into double figures, with De Leede making the only 50 of the match. Esmeijer got 31 and Schiferli got 20. Scholte, the wicket-keeper, joined De Leede. Neely went off after five overs (two for five). Scholte hit two fours in McDaid's first over - the first boundaries of the innings. De Leede also hit two fours. McDaid bowled three overs for 16. White replaced Mooney and 50 came up in the 17th over. The question now being asked - was it a mistake not to bowl out Mooney and Neely?

Heasley came on for McDaid (18th over). Scholte pushed his third ball to Joyce at cover and set off for a run. De Leede rightly sent him back but he did not beat Joyce's throw. 55-6-14. De Leede and Esmeijer now had the highest and longest stand of the innings for the seventh wicket. It was 56 runs in 58 balls. It came mostly in singles but there was one four and two sixes all to De Leede. De Leede hit Heasley over mid-wicket in the 24th over after which the score was 86 - so 108 to win in 13 overs. Two overs later Heasley missed a difficult caught and bowled offered by De Leede when he was 44. It was low to Heasley's right. McCallan replaced White and De Leede went to 50 out of 110 with a six over mid-wicket off McCallan's fifth ball.

De Leede drove at the first ball of Heasley's next over, got an inside edge, and was bowled. 111-7-51. De Leede faced only 54 balls with two sixes and three fours. Schiferli came in to join Esmeijer and they put on 22 at a run a ball. Then Molins caught Esmeijer at square leg at the second attempt off McCallan. 133-8-31. 61 were now needed off 37 balls, when Raja joined Schiferli. Neely carne back for Heasley and Schiferli hit him for six to deep square leg. In McCallan's next over Schiferli hit a four and there was a missed stumping chance off Raja who was three.

Schiferli was run out in Neely's next over. Raja was facing and attempted a run to the wicket-keeper (O'Brien) who had caught cleanly and rolled back on to the stumps. 150-9-20. Lefebvre joined Raja with 22 balls left to get 44. After 34 overs 152 was up. Then 11 came in over 35 (McCallan) including another missed stumping. Now the target was 31 in two overs. Raja hit Neely for six off the first ball of the 36th over. 10 came off it.

Lefebvre hit what looked like a catch to Joyce at cover off the last ball of this over. Joyce came up with the ball but indicated no catch which sporting gesture brought a round of applause from a goodly crowd. 21 were needed in the last over for which Heasley was brought back to replace McCallan who had given up 39 runs in five overs. Lefebvre hit a four from the first ball but only five runs came from the last 5 balls. The stars were the opening bowlers. Mooney two for 15 in seven overs and Neely 2 for 24 in 8. After a day's rest Ireland would take on ECB (England) at Waringstown. If Ireland were to win and Holland beat Scotland, Ireland would regain the European Cup which they won in the inaugural competition in Denmark in 1996.