England vs Netherlands in Orange City today

Couple of years ago, the Netherlands had their most memorable moment on the cricket field when they stunned England in their opening World Twenty20 match at Lord’s and now the two sides find themselves face-to-face once again in a similar situation.

On Tuesday here in the Orange City, a repeat of that performance by the men in orange looks highly unlikely but England are well aware of the fact that causing upsets in the tournament is what the minnows are here for. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to limit the World Cup to only 10 nations from 2015 effectively rules out the Dutch from the next edition.

Both teams will therefore, will play to a purpose with confidence on their side in their opening match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha on Tuesday.

Since that fateful evening in 2009, England have seen their brightest days but there are various issues that still need to be ironed out in the English camp, after the 6-1 ODI series loss to Australia that followed the triumph in the Ashes Down Under.

England have looked an improved unit in the two warm-up games against Canada and Pakistan, though the former pushed them to the brink before caving in. They have almost made up their minds to open with Kevin Pietersen and push wicketkeeper Matt Prior down the order to counter the spinners. The move did pay off in the game against Pakistan last week when Pietersen scored a fluent 66 while Prior played a 23-run cameo.

One of the better players of spin — along with Ian Bell — in the English side, Prior will have to take on the important task of dealing with the slow bowlers.

However, it is the decision on the inclusion of the world’s leading off-spinner, Graeme Swann, that the English think tank is delaying. Swann, who was recently blessed with a son, arrived here late on Sunday and the jet lag will be a challenge for him to deal with.

Although he still remains an uncertainty, on Monday, the off-spinner had a lengthy net session where he was keenly watched and assessed by captain Andrew Strauss, coach Andy Flower and spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

The Netherlands, on the other hand, have a sprinkling of talent in their ranks and are well capable of dismantling the more established sides in the competition on their day. Ryan ten Doeschate is definitely the most famous name from an associate team, and his skills have earned him a handsome purse from this year’s Indian Premier League auction, where he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

A brilliant 98 against Kenya in a warm-up match was ample evidence of his form and talent. Opener Alexei Kervezee has had a decent season with the Worcestershire while Tom Cooper, who plays for South Australia, is another name to watch out for.

For England at'' the top, Pietersen and Strauss can be a fire-andice combination which may pose difficulties even for the prominent teams. Over the years, England have been the bridesmaids at the World Cup, finishing runnersup three times — 1979, 1987 and 1992. They finally managed to break the jinx in the World Twenty20 in the West Indies last year and, with Strauss and Flower in charge, have looked a more confident bunch.

In the nets on Monday, the English batsmen seemed eager to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead after the Netherlands game. Spinners from a local academy were made to bowl at them for hours, though the weather was favourable.

Monday morning witnessed a light drizzle in the city but the forecast for Tuesday is clear and sunny skies. The spinners are bound to play a role at some stage of the match, but the pitch is expected to give batsmen value for their shots.

All in all, it looks like another mismatch, but in this case, previous experience will teach Goliath not to take David for granted.