UAE progress after second win

UAE 168 for 4 (Aslam 60*, Khan 52*) beat Netherlands 164 for 8 (can Bunge 76, Zubair 5-24) by 6 wickets
Scorecard

Naeemuddin Aslam and Khurram Khan's perfectly-timed run chase took UAE to their second win in as many matches as they overcame a strong Netherlands total in the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai to book a place in the Super Fours.

Despite their shock defeat of Kenya in the opening fixture, few would have expected UAE to challenge a Dutch side that did so well in the World Twenty20 in England last year. Yet in a fluctuating contest that saw one side surge ahead only for the other to claw their way back, an unbroken 101-run stand between Khan and Aslam was the clinching effort in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

Coming together with UAE stumbling at 67 for 4 after almost eight overs, in pursuit of Netherlands' 164, the pair calmly worked the ball around and picked up the odd boundary to keep the required rate in check.

Aslam led the early stages but his calculated attack on Pieter Seelaar's left-arm spin almost brought his downfall as he heaved a short ball through the outstretched hands of the deep-midwicket fielder. It ended up going for six and Aslam didn't look back as he marched to an unbeaten 60 from 48 balls. Incredibly, given the character of Twenty20 cricket, his innings contained just four boundaries, as he and his captain ran Netherlands ragged.

Khan provided serene support and the pair picked off all the bowlers with even precision. He ended up cracking the winnings runs, which also carried him to fifty in style, smashing Mudassar Bukhari for four over long on.

In the end, they made light work of a target that looked imposing after Daan van Bunge clubbed 76 to rescue a Netherlands innings that was tottering on the verge of collapse. Qasim Zubair led the UAE bowling effort with 5 for 24 and his burst in the middle overs reduced Netherlands from 65 for 2 to 66 for 5 before van Bunge took charge.

He butchered four sixes and six fours in his 48-ball stay, which alongside an unbeaten 32 from captain Peter Borren lifted the total to 164. Netherlands would have been confident of defending their score but UAE proved too resilient.

It sets up an intriguing winner-takes-all clash between Netherlands and Kenya on Thursday, while UAE have sealed their progress into the next round as they chase their first entry into a global tournament since the 1996 World Cup.