Gaby Lewis made the most of an early life to lead her side to an eight-wicket victory over the Netherlands in Rotterdam that puts Ireland a step closer to qualifying for next year’s T20 World Cup.

The skipper, who was dropped on one, paced her innings to perfection and was 66 not out from 52 balls when Leah Paul hit the winning boundary with four deliveries to spare.

After crushing Germany in their opening match, the Girls in Green were expecting a closer contest with the hosts and got one as the game stretched into the final over.

Lewis added 65 with Amy Hunter, and 49 more with Orla Prendergast and, with 26 needed from the final five overs, passing the Dutch total of 137-6 looked a formality.

Yet when Prendergast, who hit the game’s only six, fell for 28 the chase began to splutter.

With 12 needed from 11 balls, Leah should have been run out by a distance attempting a suicidal single to short mid-wicket but instead gained an overthrow, and then just cleared mid-off for another couple.

A single put Lewis back on strike and she settled Irish nerves with a fierce pull through mid-wicket for her eleventh boundary.

“We’re happy to get the win,” Lewis said. “We’d have liked to have won it quicker but we kept it entertaining.

“As a batter you have to make the most of second chances and I guess that’s T20 cricket — sometimes the luck is with you, other times it isn’t.”

Laura Delany was again the pick of the Ireland attack, taking 2-19, and Arlene Kelly showed a return to form after her difficulties during the Pakistan series with four probing overs, a wicket and a run out.

Victory against Italy tomorrow will all but ensure Ireland a top two finish, only halfway through the European tournament, and with it a place in the global qualifiers in Nepal in January.