Cricket: Durham defeated by Dutch

THE NETHERLANDS pulled off the shock of the NatWest Trophy third round yesterday with a five-wicket victory over Durham yesterday.

Roland Lefebvre, the Dutch captain who once played for Somerset and Glamorgan, put Durham in on a slow pitch at Amstelveen, and they were all out for 194.

Feiko Kloppenburg, who took 4 for 25 with his medium pace, then anchored the reply with an innings of 61 to claim his second successive man-of- the-match award. By the time he was run out, the Dutch needed 28 off nine overs, and the left-handed Luuk van Troost saw them home with some superb strokes in his unbeaten 59 off 68 balls.

Kloppenburg, a 24-year-old student, opened the innings and shared stands of 74 with the South African Kenny Jackson and 76 with van Troost, who is the brother of Andre van Troost, the Somerset paceman.

A delighted Lefebvre said: "It was a big setback not to qualify for the World Cup. We should have been there because we are good enough. But this is a huge gain because we had lost momentum. It was a great performance. We bowled with great discipline and kept taking wickets at the right time."

Scotland made it to the World Cup but yesterday Surrey's international players proved too strong for them at the Grange, winning by seven wickets.

Alec Stewart destroyed the Scottish attack with a powerful display of stroke-making, which helped the visitors to their victory target of 148 with 22.5 overs to spare. Stewart rid himself of the tension that has built since England's undignified World Cup exit. His half-century came off the 56th ball of his innings and he made 64 before edging Craig Wright to James Brinkley at first slip. After that Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher saw Surrey home.

Ireland, beaten by the Scots in World Cup qualifying, suffered a 136- run defeat by Leicestershire. Their hopes of a repeat of their victory against Middlesex on the same Dublin ground two years ago were ended by three dropped catches, which cost more than 100 runs. Darren Maddy, missed at the wicket on nine and at square leg 20 runs later, went on to score 89, and Paul Nixon reached his first NatWest fifty after giving a simple chance on 23. Their partnership of 84 in just 10 overs put the game out of sight for Ireland. The county's final total was 287.

Dav Whatmore has asked Lancashire to release him from his contract so that he can take up an offer to return as coach of his native Sri Lanka.

Ed Giddins, the Warwickshire pace bowler, has been cleared to continue bowling after doubts over his action were raised by an umpire.