Ireland v Netherlands: How they line up

Bertus de Jong



Tomorrow sees the newly-ascended Ireland welcome the Netherlands to Malahide for their penultimate Intercontinental Cup fixture and first First-Class international as a Test Nation. Though the chief prize of the competition - the much vaunted "Test Challenge" - has been scrapped, there's plenty of pride on the line, and the understrength and experimental Dutch team nonetheless represents something of a banana skin for the veteran Irish side. Whilst Ireland will be at something approaching full-strength for the four-dayer, with Boyd Rankin and Kevin O'Brien returning after missing the then-crucial match against Afghanistan, the Dutch will be without several key names - their county-contracted players skipping the game and several others out due to injury or unavailability. The missing men for the hosts are Paul Stirling, Niall O'Brien and Craig Young - nursing niggles of varying severity in the calf, shoulder and elbow respectively. For their guests the list is rather longer. Pacemen Paul van Meekeren and Timm van der Gugten will stay with their counties, as will left-arm spinning all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe. Left-arm wrist-spinner / opener Michael Rippon remains in New Zealand with Otago and South Australia's Tom Cooper, whose appearances in Orange have become increasingly rare, will likewise be absent. Meanwhile Vivian Kingma, Sikander Zulfiqar and Pieter Seelaar are all rested due to injury or fitness concerns. All-told, the tourists will not only be without their top three run-scorers in the competition but are also missing all five of their top wicket-takers. The absences allow new head coach Ryan Campbell to give some fringe players a chance to stake their claim, with Asad and Saqib Zulfiqar, Daniel ter Braak, Tobias Vis

¨¦e and Fred Klaassen all in line for First Class debuts. With barely a hundred first-class appearances between them and an average age

of just 26 it's fair to say this Dutch squad are well behind their hosts in terms of experience. Ireland's squad on the other hand is beginning to look like something of a greying golden generation. The hosts' only concessions to youth being the inclusion of Leinster opener and former under-19 skipper Jack Tector, Instonians' Australian-born quick Nathan Smith and his leg-spinning compatriot Jacob Mulder. Even with the addition of these youngsters, however, the average age of the squad is touching 30, the average age of the likely playing XI closer to 32. A first cap for Tector tomorrow would be something of a surprise, with captain William Porterfield and the evergreen Ed Joyce the men in possession at the top of the order. Even were Paul Stirling available that pairing would remain the most likely option, though most of Joyce's 648 runs in the competition have come at number 3 and the option of playing Tector to avoid exposing their most valuable bat to an inexperienced but dangerous Dutch new-ball attack must certainly have occurred. Conversely, for the Dutch the perennial opening problem is more glaring than ever. They have tried four different combinations in their five matches in the competition and none have really delivered, with the absence of Michael Rippon exacerbating what was already a serious weakness. So far in the I-Cup the Netherlands' opening stands have produced an average of just 18 runs, and in the absence of Rippon just 4. Tellingly, Rippon has not once been the first dismissed across the eight innings - the remaining openers collectively averaging in single figures in the role. The glaring gap at the top of the order leaves ample room for a debutant, but chief contenders Asad Zulfiqar and Daniel ter Braak both failed to make a case during the preparatory Pro-Series 3-dayer last week, with scores of 11, 17 and 3, 5 respectively. Ter Braak's match-winning unbeaten 74 for Hermes yesterday may have put him back in contention, but also serves to underscore that the top of the order is perhaps not his natural habitat. The current one-day opening combo of Stephan Myburgh and Wesley Barresi is obvious fall-back option, but neither have been at their best this season and Myburgh's record at the top of the order in multi-day cricket inspires little confidence. With Vis

¨¦e, who regularly opens the batting in club cricket, taking over wicket-keeping duties from Barresi for the game there's an outside chance he'll also replace his predecessor as opener, or join him. Max O'Dowd, who opened with Myburgh in Hong Kong, is another option - but again a player more comfortable in the middle order - with an unbeaten century from number six in the three dayer under his belt. In sum, the opening question remains an open question.

The remainder of the Dutch top order will likely be filled simply by whoever isn't opening, with the Netherlands continuing to show a degree of flexibility in the order depending on the situation. Ben Cooper has occupied the number 3 slot more-or-less consistently since the departure of Micky Swart and the short-lived recall of Tim Gruijters, though the in-form Saqib Zulfiqar might just push Cooper down the order. An assured unbeaten 82 in the three-dayer, coupled with a 50+ Topklasse average make the ACC skipper a near-certain selection, but where he will slot in the line-up is less clear. With the opening question unresolved the rest of the top order is inevitably equally uncertain, with even the selection of senior players such as Myburgh, Barresi or Cooper far from secure. The Ireland top order has been rather more stable of late, though the absence of regular number four Niall O'Brien may necessitate some shuffling. Assuming the Irish persist with the Porterfield/Joyce opening combination, John Anderson and Andy Balbirnie will likely both play - filling first and second drop. With both averaging around 50 in the Interpros and coming off fine performances with the Wolves the hosts will be confident in their top four despite O'Brien's absence, perhaps confident enough to take a chance on a debut for Tector, with the rest dropping down a spot or one of Balbirnie or Anderson rested. O'Brien's absence, together with that of Stuart Poynter, and with young Lorcan Tucker still waiting on the call, means Gary Wilson will take the gloves and likely his accustomed number five spot, with the returning Kevin O'Brien at six and, barring a Tector debut squeezing him out, Duhram all-rounder Barry McCarthy filling out the lower-middle order. The middle and lower order is likewise rather more straightforward for the Dutch, with skipper Peter Borren and fellow pace all-rounders Logan van Beek and Shane Snater pretty much nailed-on to play as much for their batting as bowling. If he's not opening, new keeper Toby Vis

¨¦e will likely come in down the order too. Nonetheless the absence of van der Merwe leaves the middle order looking somewhat unanchored, though the Dutch will miss him for his bowling at least as much. This of course brings us to the most eyebrow-raising aspect of this Dutch squad - namely the absence of any front-line spinners at all. In van der Merwe, Rippon and Seelaar the Dutch are not only missing three first-choice batsmen but also their first three spin options. Whilst both Zulfiqars bowl regularly in club cricket there's little question that their development in this regard lags behind their batting. Borren himself is capable of producing serviceable spin of both leg and off varieties if required, and may well bowl a few overs of both over the next four days, but the fact remains that the closest thing to a wicket-taking spinner in the Dutch side is batting all-rounder O'Dowd.