T20 World Cup 2021, Ireland vs Netherlands: Who won today’s match? 

Curtis Campher claimed four wickets in as many balls as Ireland thumped Netherlands by seven wickets in match number three of the T20 World Cup 2021 in Abu Dhabi.

Courtesy Campher’s brilliance, Ireland rolled over the Dutch for 106 in the first Group A match in Round 1 of the T20 World Cup 2021. Netherlands won the toss and decided to bat first but could never get much momentum during their innings. Apart from Campher, Mark Adair also starred with 3 for 9.

Kevin O'Brien got Ireland off to a confident start in the chase, smacking the first two balls he faced from left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe for boundaries. However, he perished for 9 runs to Brandon Glover, top-edging a short ball straight up in the air.

Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie hit consecutive fours off Fred Klaassen in the fifth over but fell on the next ball, mistiming a pull to short midwicket.

Paul Stirling (30*) and Gareth Delany steadied the innings as Ireland eased towards victory. Delany slammed van der Merwe for a six over wide long-off and a four to third man as Ireland reached 70 for 2 at the halfway stage.

Delany was bowled for 44 for 29, trying to charge Pieter Seelaar immediately after hitting him for six. Ireland got home in the 16th over as bowling hero Campher, fittingly, hit the winning runs.

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Curtis Campher’s four in four stuns Netherlands

Ireland players during the match against Netherlands. Pic: T20WorldCup/ Twitter

Ireland medium-pacer Campher claimed four consecutive wickets in the 10th over as Netherlands slumped from 50 for 2 to 52 for 6.

Colin Ackermann (11) was the first to go, caught down the leg off an attempted pull. Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie had to take the review. He got the original not out decision overturned as Ryan ten Doeschate (0) was trapped in front with a delivery that came in and beat the veteran batter’s defence.

The hat-trick ball then struck Scott Edwards on the pads as he missed his whip shot. The umpire turned down the appeal but Campher completed his hat-trick as Balbirnie opted for a review again and Hawk-Eye showed the ball hitting the stumps.

Campher made it four in four when Roelof van der Merwe chopped a length delivery onto the stumps. Rashid Khan and Lasith Malinga are the only other bowlers to achieve this rare feat in T20Is.

Netherlands got off to a disastrous start in their innings as Ben Cooper (0) was run out following a mix-up with Max O'Dowd in the first over. Cooper tucked a delivery to square-leg and while O'Dowd took off for a run from the other end.

An unsure Cooper was late to react and was run out by some distance in the end. Bas de Leede (7) was the next to go as he missed his scoop over fine leg and was cleaned up by Josh Little.

With wickets falling at the other end, O'Dowd held steadied the ship for Netherlands and scored a defiant half-century. He hit consecutive fours off Ben White in the 13th over to give the innings some momentum. O'Dowd, who hit seven boundaries in his innings, fell for 51, holing out to long-on off Adair.

Netherlands skipper Pieter Seelaar scored 21 to ensure the team crossed triple figures but he perished to Adair in the last over. Logan van Bee was run out for 11 while Brandon Glover (0) was caught at long-off off the last ball as the Dutch against lost three in three.

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Ireland vs Netherlands: Who won the Player of the Match award in today’s T20 World Cup 2021 match?

Campher was sensational, picking up four wickets in as many balls. He finished with figures of 4 for 26. Meanwhile, Adair claimed the big scalp of O'Dowd and added two more at the end and ended the game with brilliant figures of 3 for 9.

From a batting perspective, O'Dowd played a lone hand for Netherlands with 51 off 47 while Delany whacked 44 off 29 to ease Ireland towards victory after a couple of early scalps.

However, it was Campher who was named the Player of the Match for his spectacular bowling effort.