Twenty20 World Cup / Ryan ten doeschate / 03 June 2009 /

Essex and Holland all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate pens the first of his summer columns on life as a professional cricketer. First up, preparations in Holland's camp ahead of the T20 World Cup are going well...

With only two days to go before our opening match of the T20 World Cup it's crazy to think how quickly the time has passed since qualifying for this event back in 2008. Certainly none of it has been squandered as we prepare to share the world stage with cricket's elite and it's been refreshing to see some real progress within the Dutch camp.

The ability of the Associate countries to mix it with the Test sides will again be a big talking point, particularly as T20 cricket provides the best platform for the 'minnows' to mount an attack on one of the big teams. Ireland's performance in the 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean will serve both as an inspiration and a warning to the teams involved.

From a Dutch point of view we've said goodbye to some long-serving players and some of the younger guys have settled in nicely since a squad overhaul after the 2007 World Cup.

Paceman Dirk Nannes is an exciting addition to our team. His performances for Middlesex, Victoria and, more recently, Delhi Daredevils in the IPL shows his pedigree and he will be a dangerous opening partner to 'Big Ed' aka Edgar Schifferli. He received the Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup qualifying event back in March so we certainly have a new-ball pairing which can hold its own. I've come up against Dirk in county cricket and he's capable of bowling at real pace.

On a personal note, the start to the county season has passed by without much fuss. A match-winning spell against Gloucestershire in the Championship and a few 'nearly man' awards is all I have to show to date. Batting opportunities have been limited and if I'm being honest I've missed out on a few occasions when I really could have made a difference. The domestic T20 competition has allowed me to free up my batting in the past and I'm hoping that this will again be the case this year. They couldn't come at a better time for me.

My personal situation mirrors that of my team too. After a solid group stage of the Friends Provident Trophy, holders Essex were handsomely beaten by Lancashire in the quarter-final, and we've let some good opportunities pass us by in the Championship too. But there's loads to still play for and the T20 tournament is a favourite at Chelmsford.

Returning to World Cup matters, our preparation has been going well. After meeting up on Friday and catching up on six week's worth of news, we got straight into our work on Saturday against New Zealand at Wormsley, the picture-postcard ground of Sir John Paul Getty. The Kiwis put on a powerful hitting display with Brendon McCullum leading the way. We fell about 80 runs short chasing 194 and it was a lesson and a warning for the toughness of competition that lies ahead. I think the biggest challenge for us batters will be adapting to the pace of the international attacks. Apart from 360 degrees of picturesque views, the training facilities were top class and most of the guys stayed behind for a tough session.

Away from the field the guys mix really well. We pass time by playing Fifa 09 on the Xbox, with Daani (Daan van Bunge) and Cub (Alexei Kervesee) being the most accomplished players. I tend to be a mid-table finisher but it's widely accepted that I play the 'prettiest' football. We also had a sweepstake on the FA Cup final and my 4-1 prediction turned out to be horribly optimistic, though to be fair that scoreline prediction was on a Chelsea rather than Everton win. Clutching at straws, I know.

The three Associate teams have been at the same hotel in Aylesbury and the chat at the bar often turns to the dream of upsetting one of the big teams, with the Irish always on hand to offer tips (or just to remind us of 2007) on how it's done.

Speaking of Ireland, we tied with them at Lord's on Monday on another warm-up game, losing subsequently in the 'super over'. It was a solid exercise and certainly a good chance for the team to familiarise ourselves with Lord's. Dirk bowled with some real fire and I have no doubt that he is our main weapon for causing an upset. I battled for 29 and am still searching for some fluency in my stroke-making. I stayed on to hit some balls and watch the India v New Zealand game, two teams I think could go all the way. But I will tell you more about my preparations on Friday morning as we kick-off the tournament against England at Lord's.

Can't wait.

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