Tasmania go Dutch with ten Doeschate

Dutch star Ryan ten Doeschate will warm-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 by playing state cricket in Australia.

All-rounder ten Doeschate has been signed up by Australian state side Tasmania for the 2010-11 domestic Twenty20 season. ten Doeschate has been a regular for Essex in English county cricket and has also played for South Africa's Western Province.

This season ten Doeschate, 30, has been one of the top performers for Essex in the English domestic T20 competition, where it reached the semi-finals, logging 296 runs from six matches at an average of 59.20. A handy all-rounder, ten Doeschate also had the best economy-rate for his side (6.81 runs an over for 11 overs bowled).

Tasmania coach Tim Coyle and captain George Bailey were full of praises for their new signing. "His credentials suit what we need perfectly. He's an attacking, hard-hitting player who clears the boundary regularly, a very handy bowler and an excellent fieldsman," coach Coyle was quoted as saying.

Bailey was even more effusive in his praise.

"He's a bit like (Australian all-rounder Shane) Watson because he can be a match winner with both bat and ball. He was a key part of Essex making it as far as they did this year," said Bailey.

ten Doeschate will join Pakistan fast bowler, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, as Tasmania's two international players for the Twenty20 season which runs from December 30 to February 5.

He will then be expected to play a key role in the Netherlands? ICC Cricket World Cup campaign, where it will face England in its opening match on 22 February.