MUSCAT: The Netherlands secured their first victory in the Oman tri-series, part of the Cricket World Cup League 2, with a commanding 67-run win over UAE at the Oman Cricket Academy ground on Saturday.
After a string of defeats to UAE and Oman, the Dutch finally found their form with an impressive batting performance.
Opting to bat first, the Netherlands posted a competitive total of 241/8, thanks to solid partnerships at the top of the order.
Openers Max O'Dowd (66) and Vikramjit Singh (69) provided a strong foundation, adding 140 runs in the first 30 overs. Colin Ackermann (21), Bas de Leede (18) and Noah Croes (24) contributed valuable runs to the total.
Junaid Siddiqui was the standout bowler for UAE, taking 3/31, while Ali Naseer (2/49) and Dhruv Parashar (1/36) also made key breakthroughs.
In response, UAE struggled to build momentum and were bowled out for just 174 in 45.2 overs.
The chase got off to a disastrous start with opener Muhammad Waseem dismissed for a duck. Tanish Suri (26) followed soon after, and by the 20th over, UAE found themselves at a precarious 61/4. Despite modest contributions from Vritya Araving (16) and Vishnu Sikumaran (13), the middle order could not recover. Skipper Rahul Chopra fought back with 43 runs, but the damage had been done as UAE were left reeling at 136/8.
Ali Naseer’s late cameo of 45 off 39 balls, including four sixes, offered brief hope, but the Netherlands’ bowlers sealed the win with a clinical performance.
Kyle Klien, Aryan Dutt and Roelof van der Merwe each claimed three wickets, with Klien’s dismissal of Naseer marking the final blow for UAE.
The Netherlands' total of 241/8 is the highest score in the tri-series so far, surpassing UAE’s 240/8 against the Netherlands in their November 3 match.
All other matches at Al Amerat have seen lower scores, including Thursday's encounter where UAE were bowled out for a paltry 78, and Oman chased down 79/6 for their third successive win.
With this victory, the Netherlands moved up to third place in the standings, tied with Scotland on 14 points from 11 matches, but with a superior net run-rate (NRR).
Oman, who have won all their matches so far, are in fifth place with 12 points from 11 games, while UAE remain at the bottom with 4 points from 11 matches.
USA lead the table with 16 points from 12 matches, followed by Canada with 16 points but a lower net run-rate. Namibia and Nepal occupy the sixth and seventh positions with 10 and 6 points, respectively.
Oman will face the Netherlands in their final game of the tri-series on Monday, with the hosts aiming for a strong finish.
A win would be especially significant following head coach Duleep Mendis’ decision to make sweeping changes to the squad, with four players making their ODI debut during the tournament.
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