Netherlands- A package full of surprises

For a country where cricket has been played for more than a century, the Netherlands cricket team has never managed to cause much of an upheaval on the World Cup stage. It is safe to say that, somewhere along the line, football has far outstripped its colonial rival in terms of local popularity in Holland. Considering that they have enjoyed the tag of "minnows" from their induction into international cricket, it is quite surprising to note that they are ranked 12th among the top ODI teams in the world at the moment. They have only just been included in the ICC's official ODI rankings after 20th July 2010, when they beat a full-member nation, Bangladesh for the first time in a One-Day international match in a rain-shortened match.

Their history through three previous editions of the tournament is short. Managing to qualify for the first time in 1996, they did not make it past the first round and returned with the dubious distinction of being the only participating team not to win a single Man of the Match award in the entire tournament. They started their 2003 World Cup campaign more or less where they left off seven years before, but ended it on a positive note when they convincingly got the better of another ICC Trophy qualifying side, Namibia to secure their only win in the tournament. This was the day when Man of the Match Feiko Kloppenburg (121) and Klaas-Jan van Noortwijk (134*) registered the first two ODI centuries in the country's history.
The script of their short stay in World Cup continued in 2007 and this performance brought about a complete change of guard in their ranks. Having managed to beat only fellow minnows Scotland, captain Luuk van Troost and coach Peter Cantrell retired along with more senior team members. The influx of fresh legs into the side seemed to have the desired effect, with the Dutch beating England at the 2009 ICC world Twenty20 championship, one of the biggest wins in their history.
The outfit being sent by the Netherlands Cricket Union to the subcontinent for the current edition of the World Cup boasts of an impressive collection of experienced players and amateurs who are on leave of absence from their "actual" workplaces. For a long time, Roland Lefebvre has been the country's most successful player and export. This Dutch seam bowler and captain of the 2003 World Cup side earlier played as a professional in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and England.
Another Dutch player who has become a household name in India is Dirk Nannes. This half-Australian, half-Dutch left-arm speedster was a late starter, debuting at 29, but lost no time grabbing eyeballs with his splendid performances for Victoria in the T20 format. A stellar stint with the Delhi Daredevils during IPL2 meant that he finally got the call-up for the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup from Australia, and went on to become the leading wicket taker. As impressive as Nannes' career graph reads, yet there is someone else who walks away with the billing of star player. South African-born Ryan ten Doeschate carries the tag of quintessential all-rounder excelling in all three departments of the game. An experienced overseas campaigner, Doeschate has been nicknamed The Exploding Dutch Oven for his batting exploits. He holds the record for the highest average in ODI cricket, at 68.55 from 27 matches (as of January 14th 2011). At the helm of his team is Peter Borren, who represented New Zealand in the Under19 Cricket World Cup in 2002.
While the Netherlands may not have earned the tag of dark horses, it is safe to say that the world will be watching when they open their campaign against England on February 22nd in Nagpur. The odds are already stacked against them, with them being placed in a tough group alongside West Indies, South Africa, India, Bangladesh and Ireland. But don't be surprised if they take the contest to the opponents. After all, they have nothing to lose.