ireland wins
Cricket

Ireland crushes Netherlands in 2nd ODI, clinch series victory

Leah Paul’s amazing score of 137 helped Ireland beat the Netherlands by 210 runs on a record-setting day to take a 2-0 lead in the one-day international series. Ireland defeated the Netherlands with a record score of 337-8.

Paul and skipper Laura Delany combined 236 for the third wicket at Amstelveen, with Laura scoring 109 off 102 balls. Their first hundreds contributed to Ireland’s record score in women’s ODIs. The outcome was never in question after the change of innings, as Cara Murray’s five for 39 saw the Netherlands all out for 127, completing the three-match series with one match remaining.

ireland winsRecords were broken – in addition to Ireland’s record total and margin of victory, Paul scored the highest individual score for the visitors, and her stand with Delaney was also a record partnership, breaking the previous figure of 154. After losing the first match at the same site on Monday, the Dutch won the toss and chose to field first, but were met with some spectacular Irish batting.

ireland winsPaul and opening partner Gaby Lewis (15) put together a strong 38-run partnership, while Amy Hunter showed promise before being lbw for 22. Before departing for 137, opener Paul scored her first hundred with the help of 15 fours, surpassing Amy Hunter’s 121 from the previous year as Ireland’s previous greatest individual score in ODIs.

At the conclusion of the 42nd over, Paul and Delany had Ireland’s first ever 200-run partnership, but their wonderful partnership ended in the 47th over in rather sad circumstances – Paul drove strongly down the wicket, but the ball brushed the palm of spinner Iris Zwilling and flew onto the stumps, leaving a stranded Delany to walk off heartbroken, but undeniably pleased with her effort. Clare Shillington and Caitriona Beggs’ score of 154 for the third wicket was beat by their score of 236.

Unfortunately, Leah Paul’s inning ended in the following over, when she was run out while attempting to score an additional run. Her near-run-a-ball 137-run innings featured 15 boundaries. Despite a few late wickets, Ireland had set the Netherlands a mammoth total of 338 to win.

The Dutch kept the scoreboard moving slowly, but Murray’s leg-spin dismissed Juliet Post, Robine Rijke, Zwilling, Frederique Overdijk, and Eva Lynch with pinpoint accuracy. Rachel Delaney contributed two late wickets, including the key delivery that bowled Silver Siegers and sealed Ireland’s triumph.

ireland winsThe sides will meet again on Friday, at the VCC Voorburg for the final game of the 3-match series.

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Farzeen K

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