Dutch courage ... Ireland's wicketkeeper Gary Wilson (left) unsuccessfully dislodges the bails to dismiss Netherlands' captain Peter Borren. Picture: AP Source: A.M. Ahad / AP
AN Australian touch and some Dutch courage have conjured one of world cricket's greatest fairytale stories with The Netherlands qualifying for the Super 10 stage at the World T20 in Bangladesh.
South Australian batsman Tom Cooper, who was unwittingly caught up in a "cheating" scandal at the start of the tournament, smashed 45 off 15 balls as the Dutch blew away Ireland's 189 in just 13.5 overs.
The men in orange pulled off one of the greatest run-chases in T20 history and are the minnows who have roared, qualifying for the main group where they will face South Africa, Sri Lanka and England.
England's T20 cricket has been so abysmal in recent times, you would give the Dutch a serious chance of beating them.
Cooper's young brother Ben and Western Australian all-rounder Michael Swart were the other Aussies in the Dutch team, which had a heavy overseas influence with players born in South Africa and New Zealand.
It has been an extraordinary turnaround in fortunes for The Netherlands who looked a rabble at the start of the tournament when they were rocked by cheating accusations.
Cooper, who qualifies for the Netherlands through his mother, was caught up in the controversy when he was a replacement for Tim Gruijters who was ruled out with a back injury.
Gruijters then released a YouTube video in which he said he wasn't injured at all, but was rather bullied into being forced out of the Dutch squad to make way for Cooper.
He also labelled the Dutch coaching setup as cheats and a disgrace.
Cooper's value to the Netherlands has been obvious with unbeaten knocks of 34 and 72 in the previous two games before his batting pyrotechnics against Ireland.
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