Blain's haul downs Netherlands

The European Championship Division 1 continued at three venues around Dublin. Here is a round-up of the action from the fourth day

Cricinfo staff29-Jul-2008
ScorecardJohn Blain proved too much for Netherlands to handle as his 5 for 22 put Scotland on course for a comfortable six-wicket victory at Clontarf. Netherlands could only manage a paltry 117, which Scotland knocked off with more than half their overs to spare.Blain took out the Netherlands top order in his opening spell after they’d chosen to bat first. Darron Reekers fell to the first legitimate ball of the match and Ryan ten Doeschate also bagged a first-ball duck.However, ten Doeschate’s failure was somewhat understandable. He was playing for Essex last night in the Pro40 against Derbyshire and arrived home at 2am, before reaching Dublin at 8.15 this morning and going straight into the side. He probably sleep-walked to the middle.From 13 for 3 Netherlands managed a recovery between Daan van Bunge and Eric Szwarczynski as the pair added 71 for the fourth wicket. But when van Bunge fell the rest of the order rapidly disappeared. Blain returned to remove Szwarczynski for 53 and Netherlands were bowled out in less than 40 overs.Scotland made a rapid start either side of the lunch break as Gavin Hamilton and Ryan Watson added 66. They suffered a mini-wobble as four wickets went for 12 runs, but Watson held firm to complete his half-century in a match-winning stand of 42 with Neil McCallam.Ireland made slightly hard work of beating Italy at Malahide, but Paul Stirling’s unbeaten 54 off 79 balls ensured a four-wicket victory with more than 13 overs to spare. Ireland’s bowlers kept a tight leash on the Italians as they struggled to score at more than three-an-over. Ireland stumbled to 75 for 4 after 15 overs, but Stirling ensured they didn’t go the same away as Netherlands, who were beaten by Italy on the opening day of the tournament.Freddie Klokker hit an unbeaten 119 as Denmark eased past Norway by eight wickets with 12 overs to spare. Norway put in a respectable batting effort to reach 207, but it proved an easy task for Denmark.