Netherlands shocked hosts England in the inaugural match of the ICC World Twenty20 Cup at Lord's in London yesterday beating the giants by four wickets in the last ball of the match.

The minnows staged a gutsy fightback as England made 162 for five.

England had been on a course for a huge total during a century first-wicket stand between Ravi Bopara (46) and Luke Wright, who top scored with 71.

But from 102 for none in the 12th over, England lost five wickets for 51 runs as their innings petered out.

Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate took two for 35 in his four overs as England, 89 without loss at the half-way mark, only managed 73 in the final 10 overs during an innings without a single six.

Bopara got England off to an ideal start by carving the first ball of the innings from left-arm quick Dirk Nannes, who has played at Lord's for Middlesex, for four before square driving him to the boundary later that over.

The duo shared a century stand in 71 balls before Bopara, in sight of his fifty, gave his Essex teammate ten Doeschate a wicket when he holed out to Pieter Seelaar at long-on.

Bopara's runs had come in 36 balls with seven fours. Wright though did get to his fifty, off 37 balls with five fours.

The Netherlands turned 102 for one into 113 for two when Owais Shah went cheaply but Wright, giving himslf room outside legstump, flayed Nannes through the offside for four.

But Eoin Morgan, like Shah playing on his Middlesex home ground, also fell cheaply when he reverse-swept Peter Borren straight to Bas Zuiderent and England were eroding their fine start.

Wright then holed out to give paceman ten Doeschate a second wicket, his exit bringing in Robert Key, a late replacement for Kevin Pietersen, who was ruled out with a recurrence of an Achilles injury.

Netherlands had a shaky start losing two early wickets for just 23 runs in the third over but a quickfire 49 off 30 balls by TN de Grooth and PW Borren (30) brought the Dutchmen closer to history. With seven required off the last over and two relatively new batsmen at the crease the match was evenly poised for an exciting finish. But it was the consistent running between the wickets by DLS van Bunge and E Schiferli who took Netherlands to victory by four wickets in the last ball.