Stakes high in dead rubber

The World Twenty20 may be over for both England and the Netherlands, but make no mistake, the afternoon game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) today will hold a lot of importance, for both the sides.
The main reason behind that dates back to 2009 when the Dutch, in a last-ball thriller remarkably beat the English in their own den. The video of the game was reportedly used by the Dutch coach as a visual aid of sorts to encourage the side, coming into this World Cup.
The terrific Dutch have battled neck and neck against the big sides of Group 1 and will want to finish on a high, especially after leaving it late against South Africa. The key aspect for them will be their strong batting line-up.
Stephan Myburgh and Tom Cooper have been in phenomenal form and continue to lead the runs chart in the tournament. Myburgh with 223 runs at an average of 74.33 in particular has been brilliant. In addition to them, their captain Peter Borren hit form with a fine 49 in the last game. It will be an interesting game if all their batsmen come to the party today.
Despite getting knocked out of the tournament, England can hold their heads high. They have had a number of positives, which includes gobbling down their biggest T20-chase. In Alex Hales they have found an opener who can definitely push for a spot in England's one-day team.
It was an aspect that coach Ashley Giles pointed out.
"You can't pull the wool over anyone's eyes: we've just been knocked out the World Cup. But there were positives, quite a few of them. Hales played really well here. The group as a whole has worked very hard and maintained a good spirit. They've run headlong into these games," said Giles.
"I'm disappointed for the guys because they have worked hard. I can't knock the effort," he added.
He further stated that they would be playing the best possible team in the dead-rubber.
"I don't think we will play guys just for the sake of giving them a one-match experience. We will play the best side suited to winning," said Giles.
Will Hales give Chittagong yet another gift before their departure or can the Dutch spring another surprise? Either way, the crowd at ZACS are bound to be entertained.