ABN Amro to sponsor winning Netherlands team

It was a special day for the Netherlands at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on the first day for the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers on Tuesday. They not only won their opening match by beating Canada by 42 runs, but also bagged a four-year sponsorship deal with Dutch Bank ABN Amro. The Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) signed an exclusive deal with ABN Amro, who will back the Netherlands team until the end of 2015 and also support the team's preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup, to be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand during February-March 2015. Announcing the deal, Ernst Boekhorst, ABN Amro's Sponsoring and Events Manager said: "Cricket is very popular in a number of countries where we are seeking to grow our activities — particularly in Asia and the Middle East, where the sport is widely watched on television. The sponsorship agreement with the KNCB will help increase ABN Amro's international visibility and we look forward to supporting the Dutch cricket team's ambitious plans in the lead up to the next ICC World Cup." Electing to bat first, Netherland piled up 135 for 6. In reply, Canada failed to reach its target.