Nagpur: Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen gave England a quick start with 22 runs in three overs after Ryan ten Doeschate's brilliant century helped the Netherlands pile up an impressive 293 target at the VCA Ground in Nagpur on Tuesday.
Ten Doeschate's career-best 119 came off just 110 balls with three sixes and nine fours as the Dutch, who beat England at Lord's in the opening match of the 2009 World Twenty20, eyed another upset victory in the Group B match.
However, by the time he holed out off Stuart Broad he was limping with what appeared to be cramp, raising questions about his fitness to bowl his seamers when England bat.
There was no denying the quality of his innings or the ineptitude of much of England's display, which included wayward fast bowling, dropped catches and 'wickets' when there were too few fielders inside the circle.
The Netherlands' total was their best against a Test nation at the World Cup, surpassing the 230 they made against England at Peshawar in 1996.
Ten Doeschate shared a third-wicket stand of 78 with Tom Cooper (47) and later added fifty in just 49 balls during the fifth with Tom de Grooth (28) after Dutch captain Peter Borren won the toss.
Borren (35 not out) struck some fine blows of his own as he helped Ten Doeschate add 61 for the sixth wicket on a good batting pitch although England off-spinner Graeme Swann (two for 35 in 10 overs), kept things tight in the first match since the birth of his son as the Netherlands looked to fly the flag for associate nations after Kenya and Canada were both thrashed in their opening matches.
But ten Doeschate drove part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen, Swann and Collingwood for straight sixes while flaying England's seamers.
He reached his century with a five when Jonathan Trott's throw from short fine leg hit the stumps and went for four overthrows.
Dutch opener Wesley Barresi set the tone with a spirited 29 off 25 balls.
But Swann has a happy knack of taking wickets early in a spell and he struck third ball when he had Barresi stumped by wicketkeeper Matt Prior to leave the Netherlands 58 for two.
Ten Doeschate had a lucky escape when, on 47, he skied Swann only for the ball to land safely as Anderson at long-on and Pietersen at long-off left the chance to each other in a mix-up that exemplified England's mediocre fielding effort.