Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

NED vs IRE 3rd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NED vs IRE 3rd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | Netherlands vs Ireland 3rd ODI Key Players | Utrecht Pitch Report

After a disappointing but thrilling defeat in the first ODI, Ireland came roaring back to level the series 1-1 thanks to an emphatic win in the second ODI. Josh Little and Craig Young were once again the chief destroyers, taking eight wickets between them to roll the Dutch for 157. Then, Andy Balbirnie, who has struggled for form in 2021, spent important time in the middle to lead his team to an easy eight-wicket win.

So, the question ahead of the deciding ODI is which team will hold their nerve? Netherlands have shown promise this series, but after promising opening stands, they have fallen away badly with the bat. Here, they should try avoid relying on the late order for runs, which puts onus on the likes of Pietar Seelar and Scott Edwards to deliver in the middle order. Can they overcome the threat of Josh Little and co. this time around?

Also read: Opinions split as England suspend Ollie Robinson from international cricket

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Netherlands:

• Max O’Dowd has struck two starts in this series (23 and 36). Netherlands, given their batting struggles, need O’Dowd to go on and make a 50+ score. He has made three 50+ scores in his six ODIs to date (total of 294 runs at 58.80).
• Stephan Myburgh has made four double-figure scores in four ODIs vs Ireland without crossing 35 (35, 22, 20, 11). Will today be the day he makes an impactful contribution?
• Pietar Seelar has taken eight wickets in six ODIs vs Ireland, including four in two matches in this series.
• Logan van Beek and Tim van der Gugten are crucial for Netherlands in terms of their all-round ability. van Beek has struck scores of 29 (48) and 22* (36), along with three wickets. van der Gugten was man of the match in the opening ODI.

Ireland:

• Paul Stirling has struck consecutive half-centuries this series (69 and 52), carrying on his excellent ODI form since the start of 2019. In this period, Stirling has struck 1,472 runs in 27 innings at an average of 56.62.
• Also, no other cricketer in history has more ODI runs against Netherlands than Stirling. His 407 runs come at a fine average of 50.87, with four 50+ scores in eight ODIs against them.
• Andy Balbirnie returned to some form in the last game, with an unbeaten 127-ball 63. It was all about time at the crease for Balbirnie, which can do him plenty of good ahead of this game. Before the last game, Balbirnie hit just 85 runs at an average of 14.16 in 2021.
• Watch out for George Dockrell if he gets the chance to bat. Since 2017, he has averaged 101.28 in Ireland’s List A competition. He has bowled just three overs in this series so far, so batting is more of the focus for Dockrell.
• Only four bowlers have taken at least 10 ODI wickets in 2021, and Simi Singh is one of them. He went wicketless in the second ODI, but the turn available and his batting form (45 in opening ODI) makes him an important player for the Irish.
• Josh Little is on fire. He has taken seven wickets in the two matches this series (3/32 and 4/39), and the Netherlands’ batsmen are struggling for answers against him. In fact, he was player of the match in the second ODI.
• Craig Young has also taken seven scalps this series (3/34 and 4/18). He will be key once again.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 12, Netherlands 2, Ireland 8, 1 tie, 1 no result.
• Netherlands’ opening partnerships have been promising this series (32 and 44). However, the middle order collapses are a worry, caused mainly by Ireland’s Josh Little.
• Ireland are ninth (20 points) and Netherlands are tenth (10 points) in the ODI Super League table. A crucial game awaits.

Possible Playing 11

Netherlands could look to bring in Vivian Kingma for the expensive Brandon Glover this series. Kingma took five wickets in two ODIs vs Scotland recently.

Netherlands: 1. Stephan Myburgh, 2. Max O’Dowd, 3. Ben Cooper, 4. Bas de Leede, 5. Pieter Seelaar (c), 6. Scott Edwards (wk), 7. Saqib Zuilfiqar, 8. Logan van Beek, 9. Timm van der Gugten, 10. Fred Klaassen, 11. Brandon Glover/Vivian Kingma

Will Ireland bring Kevin O’Brien into their XI? He could replace William Porterfield at the top.

Ireland: 1. William Porterfield/Kevin O’Brien, 2. Paul Stirling, 3. Andy Balbirnie (c), 4. Harry Tector, 5. George Dockrell, 6. Lorcan Tucker (wk), 7. Simi Singh, 8. Andy McBrine, 9. Barry McCarthy, 10. Josh Little, 11. Craig Young

Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd Utrecht Pitch Report and Weather

Scoring rates have been low in this blast-from-the-past ODI series. The tracks for the two ODIs have certainly been on the slower side, with the spinners hard to get away and seamers rewarded for good lengths. We can expect a similar kind of match in similar conditions, with beautiful weather (sunny and 24 degrees) expected to greet the players.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

Fans can hope for a more competitive match than the second ODI as the series is up for grabs. Ireland start as favourites as they look to have found their feet, and their experience can count for plenty.