CLYDESDALE BANK 40, Amstelveen:
Essex 218-8 beat Netherlands 217-6 by 1 run
Match scorecard

Essex were given a real scare by the Netherlands before winning by just one run off the final ball in Amstelveen.

Chasing 218-8, the Dutch looked on course on 179-3, with Eric Szwarczynski and Bas Zuiderent well set.

But Szwarczynski (75) was run out, Zuiderent went next ball for 56 and Mudassar Bukhari was run out off the final ball as the Dutch made 217-6.

Earlier, Matt Walker top scored for Essex with 71, Jaik Mickleburgh weighing in with 46.

The win cements Essex's place in second in Group B of the Clydesdale Bank 40, level on points with leaders Yorkshire - but it was far too close a shave for comfort.

Set 219 to win, despite seeing Nick Statham and Michael Dighton depart cheaply, South Africa-born right-hander Szwarczynski remained unflappable as he fashioned a recovery.

He found an effective ally in Zuiderent, the pair putting on 103 for the fourth wicket before Szwarczynski perished at the hands of another South Africa-born Dutchman.

Szwarczynski failed to beat the throw from Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate and, as so often happens when a partnership is broken, Zuiderent followed immediately, when he was caught behind off Graham Napier.

The Dutch still got it down to 16 needed from two overs, 10 of which were collected from the penultimate thanks largely to Bukhari hitting a six off Napier's first delivery .

Chris Wright was charged with the responsibility of the last over and conceded only three runs from his first five balls.

But, needing three to win or two to tie, Bukhari only managed one run to mid-wicket before being was run out by Grant Flower.

Partial revenge perhaps on behalf of his brother, England coach Andy Flower, whose side suffered such an embarrassment at the hands of the Dutch at Lord's in the ICC World Twenty 20 last June.

Essex fast bowler Chris Wright said:

"Ryan ten Doeschate knows these guys fairly well and I just followed his advice.

"I was on the wrong end of one of these at Worcester last year, so it was nice to make amends.

"In hindsight, we we were a few short, but we should still have defended it better than we did.

"At one point it looked they might beat us but it was fantastic to pull it back."

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