George Dockrell spun Ireland into a fourth Intercontinental Cup Final in Deventer on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 279-run victory over the Netherlands with over a day to spare.
The 20-year old Somerset player finished with figures of six for 39 as the Dutch were bowled out for 127 in their second innings, his best return for Ireland, while his match figures of nine for 71 are his best in first-class cricket.
Conditions could not have been better for the left-armer, who got plenty of turn from a wearing pitch as he dismantled the home batting line-up.
Chasing a target of 407 after Ireland finally declared their second innings on 222 for eight just after lunch, Max Sorensen took out the opening three Dutch batsmen, before Dockrell took out their kingpin for the second time in the match when trapping Tom Cooper leg-before for 26.
He proceeded to rattle through the rest of the Dutch batting line-up, with off-spinner Andrew Balbirnie chipping in with the wicket of Pieter Seelaar as victory was wrapped up with 45 minutes remaining of the third day's play.
Earlier Ireland had enjoyed a very profitable morning session, adding 146 runs in 36 overs, with Andrew White collecting his ninth half-century in the competition on his 33rd birthday before falling to Cooper on 62, while John Mooney (42) and Stuart Poynter (35) also helped pile the pressure on the Dutch by moving Ireland's lead past the 400-mark.
Ireland will now turn their thoughts to the two World Cup qualifiers against the Dutch in Amsterdam on Sunday and Tuesday as they look to seal a place in the 2015 staging of the event in Australia and New Zealand and they will be boosted by the addition of six more county-based players for those games. White is expected to be fit despite suffering a hamstring strain.
SCORECARD
INTERCONTINENTAL CUP
(at Deventer, the Netherlands): Day 3 of 4 - Overnight: Ireland 332 & 68-4 (35 ovs) led The Netherlands 148 by 252 runs.
IRELAND - Second Innings continued
A White c Szwarcynski b Cooper 62
K O'Brien c Barresi b Seelaar 4
S Poynter lbw b Doram 35
J Mooney c Barresi b Cooper 42
S Thompson not out 11
T Johnston c Szwarcynski b Borren 0
G Dockrell not out 14
Extras (b4) 4
Total (for 8 wkts dec, 73.3 ovs) 222
Did not bat: M Sorensen.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-52, 3-54, 4-61, 5-122m 6-195, 7-198, 8-199,
Bowling: S Braat 10-2-21-0; Q Gunning 7-3-15-1; P Borren 13-1-40-1;
D Doram 23-3-60-2; P Seelaar 11-1-39-2; T Cooper 9.3-0-43-2.
NETHERLANDS - Second Innings
E Szwarczynski c Shannon b Sorensen 0
L Stokkers c Johnston b Sorensen 1
J Gruijters b Sorensen 5
T Cooper lbw b Dockrell 26
W Barresi b Dockrell 8
P Borren lbw b Dockrell 33
T Gruijters lbw b Dockrell 4
P Seelaar c Sorensen b Balbirnie 25
D Doram c Mooney b Dockrell 14
S Braat not out 1
Q Gunning c O'Brien b Dockrell 1
Extras (b4, lb5) 9
Total (all out, 44.2 ovs) 127
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-9, 3-27, 4-45, 5-50, 6-62, 7-95, 8-125, 9-125.
Bowling: M Sorensen 11-2-32-3; T Johnston 8-3-12-0; J Mooney 2-0-5-0; G Dockrell 13.2-4-39-6; S Thompson 8-0-25-0; A Balbirnie 2-0-5-1.
Ireland (20pts) bt The Netherlands (0pts) by 279 runs
