Ireland head into the World Cup qualifying tournament next week on the back of a defeat after they were bowled out inside 40 overs by a Netherlands side without their county professionals.

Two late wickets with victory in sight made the result closer than it probably was as the Dutch still had two to spare when they passed their victory target of 194 in the 38th over.

Ben White took four wickets in the space of 17 balls to reduce Netherlands to 114 for six but a seventh wicket stand of 67 put them back in control. Spinners took all eight Dutch wickets, White finishing with five, and with six of the Ireland batsmen dismissed by spin, a third spin bowler would seem essential in the two games at the Queen’s Sports Club, where Ireland play Scotland and Sri Lanka.

Whether five wickets is enough to force White into the starting line-up, however, is not certain because, significantly, Harry Tector was given the 37th over yesterday and he took a wicket with his final ball so he could still be the back-up for Andy McBrine and George Dockrell.

McBrine, who opened the bowling and took a wicket in his second over, has been confirmed as opening batsman for the tournament but he goes into the game against Oman on Monday with a total of 11 runs from 17 balls from the two warm-up games, bowled yesterday by Logan Van Beek.

With Paul Stirling caught at first slip first ball and Tector caught behind for just four, the other batsmen had to come to the party but only the reliable Lorcan Tucker stayed for any length of time, his 90 balls more than twice faced by anyone else.

Gareth Delany supported him in a stand of 56 — he faced just 25 balls for his 46 which included four of the team’s five sixes — and Graham Hume in a stand of 60 for the eighth wicket.

But teams very rarely win when the batters fail to use 10 overs.

Scores: Ireland 193 (39.2 overs, L Tucker 74, G Delany 46, G Hume 30, A Balbirnie 12) Netherlands 196-8 (37.3 overs, W Barresi 89, M O’Dowd 36, S Ahmad 30; B White 5-62, H Tector 1-6, G Dockrell 1-31, A McBrine 1-32). Netherlands won by 2 wickets.