No Room For Lemons In City Of Oranges

Whisper it, but England owe the Netherlands a significant debt of favour. The last time these two teams met was at Lord's in June 2009 on a soggy opening night of the World Twenty20, when Ryan ten Doeschate, Tom de Grooth, Edgar Schiferli and Co. inflicted a sensational humiliation on an England team who were still resettling after their Moores/Pietersen upheaval, and had yet to recognise the need to front up in all formats.

It was a notable nadir, and a result that still ranks as one of the most abject moments in England's often chequered history in ICC competitions. And yet, it was arguably the hurry-up that they needed. Since that night, England have gone on to win and retain the Ashes, they triumphed at the subsequent World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, and until last month's ODI debagging in Australia, they had not lost a series in any format of the game since September 2009.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the memories of that evening have been surpressed by both teams in the build-up to this rematch. On the one hand, the Dutch have no wish to relinquish their comforting status as underdogs, but on the other, there is a widespread acceptance that England in 2011 are a very different proposition. They are not among the outright favourites for the World Cup by any stretch of the imagination, but neither should they be the makeweights who have disgraced every edition of the tournament since 1996.

Netherlands could hardly wish for a more portentous venue than Nagpur, India's so-called city of Oranges, although in a contest stretched over 100 overs rather than 40, England's experience ought to tell in the end - just as it did against Canada in their inauspicious warm-up in Fatullah last week, and indeed in Peshawar 15 years ago, when the teenaged Bas Zuiderent stole the plaudits for his maiden fifty, if not the result. England were as bad as they've ever been in that campaign. They've come a long way since then.

There has been a distinct English feel to the weather in Nagpur in recent days with cloud cover and drizzle in the air. Similar is forecast for the match which will suit both sides who are more used to cooler conditions. The nets have been a little spicy, but don't expect the surface to offer the same life.

The big talking point is Kevin Pietersen's promotion to the top of the England order. It's not a role he has attempted too often in the past, although his 131 from 122 balls against India A in Bangalore seven years ago provides some evidence of what he might be able to achieve. Besides, so far in the tournament, No. 1 has been the place to bat, with Sehwag, Tamim, Dilshan and Watson all cashing in on their opportunities. KP's never better than when he has a point to prove.

Ryan ten Doeschate is the Netherlands' outstanding performer. A big-hitting and technically correct batsman, and a tricksy seamer with a good change-up in pace and a range of subtle variations, he has honed his skills as a stalwart at Essex, and is the one Dutch player who would press for a place in the England middle-order. A lot will rest on his shoulders if they are to come close to matching their shock result two years ago.

Graeme Swann is back with England's squad after an eventful month which began with a back injury in Australia, and culminated in the birth of his first son, Wilfred, only days after his successful quashing of a drink-driving charge at Nottingham Magistrates' Court. Assuming he has regained his fitness and focus after all that, he'll be straight back into the side, and may be joined by the late squad addition Ravi Bopara, whose powerful strokeplay could be vital in the absence of Eoin Morgan.

England (probable) 1 Kevin Pietersen, 2 Andrew Strauss (capt), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.

The Dutch captain Peter Borren is expected to play but will not bowl after suffering an abdominal strain. There could be a new look at the top of the order with the young wicketkeeper, Wesley Barresi, touted as a possible opening partner for the Worcestershire starlet, Alexei Kervezee. "I think [Barresi] can handle this level of cricket: not only handle it, but also do very, very well," said Borren.

Netherlands (possible) 1 Alexei Kervezee, 2 Wesley Barresi (wk), 3 Eric Szwarczynski, 4 Tom Cooper, 5 Ryan ten Doeschate, 6 Peter Borren (capt), 7 Bas Zuiderent, 8 Tom de Grooth, 9 Mudassar Bukhari, 10 Adeel Raja, 11 Bradley Kruger.

The first meeting between these two teams came in Peshawar exactly 15 years ago, when Graeme Hick's century proved the difference between two improbably well-matched teams. Bas Zuiderent was playing in his and his country's second full ODI, and made 54 as an 18-year-old.

The second, and most recent, 50-over meeting occurred in East London in the 2003 World Cup, and was a much more one-sided affair. James Anderson, blazing a trail in his maiden international season, claimed 4 for 25 as the Dutch crashed to 142 all out.

Paul Collingwood has played two matches in his career against the Dutch � and lost them both. The most recent was of course the Lord's Twenty20, but he first tasted defeat while playing for Durham at Amstelveen in the third round of the NatWest Trophy in 1999. He made 7 from 39 balls in a five-wicket defeat.

"[Losing intensity] was an accusation that could have been levelled during the one-day series in Australia. But not the World Cup. We're up for it. There's a good vibe and buzz about everything out here at the moment."

Andrew Strauss promises there will be no post-Ashes hangover in England's performances on the subcontinent "Certainly half the squad were there on that evening and they are fully aware of what is possible on any given day. I know it was a shorter version but they are going to take quite a bit of confidence out of that victory into this."

The Dutch coach Peter Drinnen knows his team will remember that winning feeling after their heroics at Lord's two years ago .

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Netherlands Player Dazzles As England Plumb The Depths

Netherland gave the Associate nations a shot in the arm after a torrid first few days of action, and in so doing inflicted on England one of their most embarrassing days in the field in ODI history, as he produced a brilliant 119 from 110 balls in a massive total of 292 for 6. After being asked to bowl first on an easy-paced wicket, England's performance degenerated in a spate of beamers, dropped catches, overthrows and fielding misplacements, as they did their best to reprise their shortcomings at Lord's in the World Twenty20 two years ago - the last occasion they had shared the world stage with the Dutch.

England will need to chase down a stiff target of 293 to avoid a repeat of that infamous defeat, after a performance that was even more awkward than their cagey effort against Canada in Fatullah last Wednesday. With the might of India looming on Sunday, they simply cannot afford to fail against a team that is regarded as the weakest in Group B. But to do so, they will have to complete their second-highest run-chase in World Cup history.

ten Doeschate's prowess in limited-overs cricket is hardly a secret - he averaged 54 in the CB40 last season as Essex advanced to the semi-finals - but England had no answers to his watertight technique and a shot selection that started out composed before exploding in the closing overs with 52 runs coming from his last 26 deliveries. He came to the crease in the 12th over, following the end of a sparky cameo from the rookie wicketkeeper, Wesley Barresi, and though he took 12 balls to get off the mark, the value in gauging the pace of the wicket paid off handsomely.

All told, ten Doeschate struck nine fours and three sixes in a 110-ball stay. The first of his maximums came off a gentle full-toss from Kevin Pietersen, whose two overs were dispatched for 19 and highlighted England's folly in omitting Michael Yardy as the specialist second spinner - Ravi Bopara's medium-pace was not called upon. Swann, the pick of England's attack with 2 for 35, was then flicked supremely over midwicket for another six, while a Paul Collingwood offcutter was also dispatched through the legside.

After calling for the Powerplay in the 43rd over, ten Doeschate lost his fifth-wicket partner Tom de Grooth, the hero of Lord's 2009, who was bowled by a Stuart Broad yorker for 28. But undeterred, he picked off consecutive boundaries from Tim Bresnan to move through the nineties, before reaching his first World Cup hundred from 98 balls and in remarkable fashion, as a sharp single to short fine leg turned into five overthrows when Jonathan Trott's shy ricocheted off the stumps and away to the ropes.

Despite his personal success, it was far from a lone hand that ten Doeschate played. The platform for the Netherlands innings was set by Barresi and his fellow opener, Alexei Kervezee, whose pedigree is well known after he scored more than 1000 first-class runs in his first full season with Worcestershire in 2010. The pair added 36 for the first wicket at nearly a run a ball, with England's bowlers straying all too frequently onto the pads as they strained for non-existent swing in the Powerplay overs.

Bresnan made England's first breakthrough of the campaign when Kervezee top-edged an attempted pull to the keeper Matt Prior, who had earlier been at fault when Barresi - in the midst of an over from Broad that went for 13 - had flashed a high chance past his out-stretched right glove and away for four. Barresi cracked six fours in all before Swann, newly returned to the squad after the birth of his son Wilfred, struck once again in his first over, to have him stumped from 29 from 25 balls.

By this stage, however, Tom Cooper was well into his stride. His first ball had been a gimme from Bresnan, a leg-stump half-volley that was clipped away for four, and all told he made a calm 47 from 73 balls before Collingwood's offcutters tempted him into a loose clip to Anderson at midwicket.

One ball earlier, Cooper had been dropped by a diving Pietersen at fine leg as he attempted a pull off Bresnan, but England's sketchy performance in the field was best summed up by a hideous reprieve for ten Doeschate on 47. Swann, who had conceded just 14 runs from his first six overs, tempted the batsman into an ambitious loft into no-man's land behind the bowler's arm. Anderson and Pietersen converged from mid-off and mid-on respectively, but stopped dead as the ball plugged harmlessly between them.

Anderson's day went from bad to worse when he returned to the attack in the 46th over. His attempt at blockhole bowling resulted in two awful waist-high full-tosses, the second of which swung away down the leg side for four. Both were called as no-balls, and Anderson was very fortunate not to be withdrawn from the attack by the umpires. Or not as it happens, because the Dutch captain Peter Borren was delighted he remained. He belted three consecutive boundaries in a listless ninth over, to finish unbeaten on 35 from 24 balls.

England's embarrassment didn't end there. Though Broad showed some fight to end ten Doeschate's stay via a catch in the deep in the 49th over, he was denied the wicket of Borren in the same over when Paul Collingwood at midwicket failed to take his required position inside the fielding circle. A no-ball was signalled, Borren was recalled, and there was still time for one more howler, as Swann shelled a sitter at third man to reprieve Mudassar Bukhari.

The Netherlands final total of 292 for 6 was their highest against a full-member nation, and the second highest by any Associate, beating the 230 they scored against England on this very day 15 years ago, at the 1996 World Cup. The hero that day was the 18-year-old Bas Zuiderent, who was the only Dutchman to miss out this time around, as he made 1 from 10 balls before becoming Swann's second victim. It was scant consolation for England on a day that they cannot allow to get any worse.

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