Netherlands v Afghanistan - ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier – Group A Match Update
Netherlands 149/6 (20/20 ov) v http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 150/6 (19.4/20 ov) - Afghanistan won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)
On Wednesday, March 14, 2012, Afghanistan won their International Cricket Council (http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Netherlands-c753 by four wickets, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Netherlands, who chose to bat first after winning the toss, failed to capitalize on the perfect start by their openers and soon faltered after posting a reasonable total on the board as compared to a tough score which was always a possibility considering the way they began their innings.
Openers, Stephan Myburgh and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Michael-Swart-c76222 got off to a flying start as they launched a barrage of outstanding batting by clobbering Afghanistan all around the park.
The openers fancied 44 runs on the board before Afghanistan finally managed to get a breakthrough by dismissing Swart, who fell after playing an innings of 22 runs off 16 deliveries.
Myburgh, was then soon to follow as he fell at a time when the side had amassed 51 runs on the board. The batsman perished after playing a knock of 19 runs off 17 deliveries.
This triggered a batting meltdown as the side lost a few more wickets sooner than anyone had expected and by 100 runs on the board, Netherlands had lost five of their batsmen.
With the middle-order stumbling, it was the unbeaten innings of 58 runs by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Kervezee-c1027 that helped the Dutch finish their innings after posting 149 runs on the board.
From Afghanistan, pacer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Izatullah-Dawlatzai-c1609 was the pick of the bowlers after grabbing three wickets.
Needing 150 runs to win in 20 overs, Afghanistan experienced an unimpressive start to their run chase as they lost their first wicket with only 14 runs on the board.
Opener, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Karim-Sadiq-c70298 was Afghanistan’s first causality as he fell after scoring 11 runs.
The demise of the opener, brought http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Shahzad-c77324 on the crease and the batsman belted a stupendous partnership with opener Gulbodin Naib.
The two batsmen took the score to 47 runs before the partnership finally came to an end when Naib fell after scoring just five runs.
Later, Shahzad went on to belt an innings of 54 runs as he played a key role his side’s victorious finish to the match in 19.4 overs for the loss of six wickets.
He was named as the Player of the Match for his impressive show with the bat.
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