ESPNcricinfo previews the World Cup, Group B game between Bangladesh and Netherlands
The Preview by Siddhartha Talya13-Mar-2011Match FactsMarch 14, Chittagong
Start time 9.30am (0330 GMT)Ryan ten Doeschate has to step up•Getty Images
The Big PictureBangladesh have said the right things in the aftermath of a stunning win over England that has kept their quarter-final prospects alive. Though the euphoria of that thriller is yet to die down among the public, who’ve reacted to that performance by showering rewards upon the players, the coach and the team have their feet firmly on the ground. In what has proved the more competitive and the more interesting group this competition, the race for a place in the final eight remains wide open, the doors completely shut only on Netherlands. But the Dutch are out to ruin a party or two, and in their upcoming games against Bangladesh and Ireland, they meet two teams they would have had a realistic expectation of beating at the start of the World Cup.The Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons has warned against complacency. He has admitted beating South Africa – Bangladesh’s last game in the group stage – will be difficult, making the Netherlands fixture a virtual must-win encounter. Their net run-rate of -1.241 is also a concern, one that can be offset with wins in their remaining matches. And there is a good chance their fate rests on the mercy of other results, given overcoming South Africa is likely to be an uphill task. England drifting out of contention with a loss to West Indies and Ireland being shut out by South Africa will open up possibilities for Bangladesh.While Netherlands are capable of springing a surprise, they’ll know they are up against a superior team based on performance. And their task will be made more difficult by their inexperience in Bangladesh conditions, with the slow and low pitch and the hosts’ arsenal of spinners presenting a daunting challenge. After inflicting an upset, Bangladesh have reason to believe. But to be at the receiving end of one tomorrow will be a slip-up that will leave them an endangered species in Group B.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: WLWLW
Netherlands: LLLLLWatch out for…In two games in which they’ll back themselves strongly, Netherlands will need their best player, Ryan ten Doeschate, to step up. They were able to push England close, thanks largely to his outstanding all-round effort but have withered away since then. He’s managed scores of 7, 11 and 11 in their last three games but what better way to crash a party and leave the hosts deflated than a repeat of what he achieved in Netherlands’ first game this tournament.Bangladesh’s spinners had England in a tangle with 33 overs shared between the four slow bowlers. They picked up seven wickets for 140, though were countered with the enterprise of Eoin Morgan. In favourable conditions where footwork and innovativeness will be key to tackling slow bowling, Netherlands’ lack of experience remains a major weakness the Bangladesh spinners can exploit.Team newsBangladesh are contemplating bringing in Suhrawadi Shuvo, a left-arm spinner, into the XI, potentially at the expense of offspinner Naeem Islam, who impressed against England in a tidy spell. “We are looking at bringing Shuvo in to add another left-arm spinner, they have got a lot of right-handers in their team,” Siddons said. “It will make very difficult for them if we put another left-armer in. We are thinking of shifting Naeem and Shuvo, but we haven’t really confirmed that. It will be difficult on Naeem to drop him, rather leave him out, not drop him.”Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Raqibul Hasan, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Suhrawadi Shuvo/ Naeem Islam, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul islam, 11 Rubel Hossain.Netherlands (possible): 1 Eric Szwaraczynski, 2 Wesley Barresi (wk), 3 Tom Cooper, 4 Ryan ten Doeschate, 5 Alexei Kervezee, 6 Bas Zuiderent, 7 Tom de Grooth, 8 Peter Borren (capt), 9 Bradley Kruger, 10 Mudassar Bukhari, 11 Pieter Seelaar.Conditions are likely to remain overcast and the pitch is expected to play in a similar fashion to how it did in the England game. Being a day game, dew is unlikely to be a factor and as the track could open up later in the day, batting first is a preferred option.Stats and trivia Netherlands and Bangladesh have played each other in just one ODI, in Glasgow last year, and in conditions radically different from what Chittagong will offer. Netherlands won that game by six wickets Netherlands have no left-handed batsmen in their 15-man squad. Bangladesh have seven. Quotes “It’s always pressure when you are expected to win. It’s not unusual for us. We have got a really good record against lower-ranked teams, we have also got a few hiccups along the way as well, but we are confident. We got over Ireland, just had a great win over England, so we are confident. Hopefully we can do the job.”
“Definitely it will be our intention to ruin the party for them. It is good that our games against Bangladesh and Ireland have a bearing on the tournament. It’s just great that we can go out there and play a match that still counts.”