While most eyes will presumably be focussing on the teams still competing for the trophy, I'll be interested in how a dispirited England will fare against near-neighbours the Netherlands in their dead rubber. The Dutch may never play Test matches but they have had a few memorable moments in limited-overs cricket, including a couple against England.
In the 50-over format, England enjoy a 3-0 record. Their first meeting took place at Peshawar in the 1996 World Cup. On that occasion, Mike Atherton's side suffered early jitters before Graeme Hick (104 not out) and Graeme Thorpe (89) powered England to 279-4. The opposition - featuring county players Roly Lefebvre, Bas Zuiderent and Pul-Jon Bakker - managed a respectable 230-6 in reply. They went on to lose all their group matches, including a hammering by the UAE, while England were knocked out in the quarters by eventual champions Sri Lanka.
Seven years later, in South Africa, England triumphed easily. A 20 year-old Jimmy Anderson took 4-25, then half-centuries by Nick Knight and Michael Vaughan steered the favourites to a six-wicket victory. Andrew Flintoff suffered the embarrassment of falling second ball to van Bunge for nought, but by then the game was practically over.
The most memorable ODI encounter between the nations came at Nagpur three years ago. Zuiderent was still there for the Dutch, fifteen years after the first, but it was Ryan Ten Doeschate who really shook England to the core. His 110-ball innings of 119 scared the hell out of Andrew Strauss' team and Anderson and Broad conceded 137 runs between them. All six England batsmen made decent contributions but it was Kevin Pietersen. of all people, whose slow scoring threatened to cost England the match. In the end, Ravi Bopara and Paul Collingwood had to thrash some boundaries to close the run chase with only eight balls to spare. Ireland went even further a few weeks later by actually beating England, but it was the latter who qualified for the knockout stage. Just as in 1996, Sri Lanka proved far too good on the day. The Dutch? That gallant effort against England was balanced by some humbling defeats at the hands of South Africa and the West Indies and once more they finished winless.
But let's get back to Twenty20 cricket. Here, the Netherlands have a 100% record against England! OK, it's based on just one fixture but it's a statistic the Dutch will be keen to maintain tomorrow. They have deserved their spot in the global limelight, achieved partly as a result of that tremendous onslaught on the Irish bowlers a few weeks ago. Of course, 20-over cricket is much more likely to yield a surprise; one six blitz and a few tight overs can decide a game. Alternatively, two sides can struggle to impose themselves and it goes down to nerve and luck in the final over. It was the latter situation on 5th June 2009 when T20 World Cup hosts England opened the tournament at Lord's expecting an easy ride against the Netherlands.
Jeroen Smits won the toss and put England in to bat. It all looked straightforward as Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright shared a first-wicket century partnership against an attack featuring Aussie-born debutant Dirk Nannes. Already in his 30s, Nannes was just starting his international career which was soon jettisoned in favour of one of the most successful T20 specialist spells of any fast bowler. However, he managed no wickets and leaked 30 runs in his four overs.
England racked up 162-5, awkward but by no means impossible to overcome. Alex Kervezee skied a catch to Broad in the first over but, slowly but surely, the Dutch advanced. Wickets fell at intervals, three to Anderson, and Ryan Sidebottom was just as economical. Nevertheless, when Tim de Grooth was dismissed for 49 in 30 balls, his side needed just 47 in seven overs. That brought in Ten Doeschate and he and Peter Borren kept the scoreboard ticking over for more overs. However, the Netherlands still needed seven from the last six balls. By then Tendo had been joined by bowler Edgar Schiferli. Stuart Broad was the bowler and, while he succeded in preventing any match-winning boundaries, he contrived to mess up a run-out chance and drop a difficult caugt-and-bowled. Schiferli faced the last delivery needing two to win. He got bat to ball and ran. Broad picked up in his follow-through and shied at the stumps and missed. The ball whizzed past 'keeper James Foster and the batsmen ran an overthrow to win in the most dramatic of fashions.
England certainly won't want a repeat, but if the future does prove to be orange, Ashley Giles, Broad and co will have faces of scarlet. The turbulent trials in Australia were bad enough but humiliation in Bangladesh will cap a forgettable winter for England.
