BELFAST, July 20: The Netherlands began their campaign for a third successive European Cricket Championship on Saturday when they met Italy in the first of five round-robin matches in Northern Ireland.

Captained by Roland Lefebvre, the Dutch are the only side in the tournament to have qualified for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, and are strong favourites to keep the European title they won at home in 1998 and retained two years later in Glasgow.

A team consisting of England club players, is expected to provide their stiffest opposition with Scotland and hosts Ireland also a threat. Denmark and Italy complete the six teams in Group A. England, the only test-playing nation in Europe do not take part in the limited-overs tournament.

Mike Hendrick, the former England fast bowler who coached Ireland to victory in the inaugural European Championship in 1996, will be hoping to repeat the feat with Scotland.

France, Germany, Gibraltar, Israel, Portugal and Austria will contest second division Group B.

The scheduled first day of the competition on Friday was washed out with all six games abandoned and re-arranged for Sunday. —Reuters