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James Anderson produced the best World Cup bowling performance by an Englishman for 20 years as Nasser Hussain's team beat the Netherlands by six wickets in their Group A game on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Anderson, bowling 10 overs on the reel, recorded career-best figures of four for 25 as the Dutch side were restricted to 142 for nine.
But England's opening performance in the tournament, delayed by their refusal to play in Zimbabwe, was still rusty, even though they sprinted home after just 23.2 overs of their reply.
They had reduced the Dutch side to 31 for five but then failed to wrap up the innings, Tim de Leede leading the Dutch rearguard with an undefeated 58.
Nick Knight and Michael Vaughan both made 51 in England's reply but several batsmen threw their wickets away during the chase.
'KILLER PUNCH'
"We lacked a bit of a killer punch -- obviously we haven't got a Brett Lee -- but we bowled with great discipline," Hussain said. "All credit to the Dutch batsmen, they all got stuck in.
"It was a good workout. To win in 23 overs against anyone is a good performance."
England might have had an even shorter day after putting the Netherlands in.
Man of the match Anderson removed Daan van Bunge, caught by Craig White in the gully off a back-foot drive, with the score on 15 and then trapped Luuk van Troost lbw seven runs later.
The score had moved on to 31 before three wickets fell in 10 balls without a run scored.
Bas Zuiderent, the one Dutch professional who plays for Sussex in England, played a loose drive at Anderson, the ball stopping on him and lobbing to Hussain at mid-off.
Two balls later Klaas Jan van Noortwijk glanced to leg and Alec Stewart took a good diving catch and Nick Statham was trapped lbw by Andrew Flintoff.
The Dutch top five had managed just 21 runs between them but de Leede, batting at six and who also had trials in England earlier in his career, marshalled the lower order superbly.
Ian Blackwell, with his left-arm spin, and Craig White, back from a side injury, both chipped in with two wickets but they could not stop the 35-year-old de Leede reaching his 50 before driving Flintoff over mid-off for four with the shot of the innings.
In reply, Marcus Tescothick, short on form, slogged his wicket away after making 12 while van Bunge then caught out England's batsmen with a mix of good deliveries and rank long-hops.
VAUGHAN 50
Vaughan brought up the 100 with an on-drive for four, then reached his half-century off 53 balls (8x4), before van Bunge, also 20 years old, was brought on.
He took two wickets in five balls with his wrist spin. Vaughan caught at slip off a fine delivery and Flintoff following for a two-ball duck, pulling a long-hop straight to short mid-wicket.
Knight completed his 50 off 56 balls with consecutive fours before he pulled another van Bunge long-hop straight to square leg.
Van Bunge, who made 62 in the first match against India, finished with three for 16 off three overs.
England's opening match of the World Cup, in effect, started 72 hours and 30 minutes late after they refused to travel to Harare to play Zimbabwe on Thursday. That refusal led to the points being awarded to the home team.