Pakistan enter Super Eight stage in style

Earlier,aware that only a big win will keep their Super Eight hopes alive,Pakistan skipper Younis Khan decided to bat first and cameos from Kamran Akmal (41),Shoaib Malik (30),Misbah-ul Haq (31 no out) and the captain himself (36 off 20) helped the side post a competitive 175 for five.

Chasing 151 to progress to the Super Eight stage and 176 for victory,the Netherlands batsmen were clueless against the spin duo of Afridi and Ajmal and lost wickets at regular intervals to cut a sorry figure in the run chase.

The Netherlands were dealt with an early blow when dangerous looking Darron Reekers (13 off 6) feel to Mohammad Aamer,caught by Sohail Tanvir at sqaure leg,but not before hitting the pacer for two consecutive fours.

It could have been double blow for the Dutch had Salman Butt not dropped Alexei Kervezee (21) at fine leg at the personal score of seven off Aamer in the fourth over.

From there on Kervezee and Bas Zuiderent (13) played sensibly and added 29 runs for the second wicket before Afridi’s golden arm did the trick,cleaning up Zuiderent’s with a fine yorker.

Young Ajmal then gave the Netherlands double blow in the ninth over,first picking up Peter Borren caught by Butt and then a ball later got the important wicket of Kervezee,stumped by Akmal with the Dutch reeling at 49 for four at the end of nine overs.

His bat might not have done much talking during Pakistan innings,but Afridi ran havoc with his arm and cleaned up the Dutch batsmen all ends up. The 29-year-old right-arm spinner dragged Pakistan one step closer towards Super Eight stage when his yorkers disturbed Tom de Grooth and Daan van Bunge’s timbers in a span of one ball.

Ryan ten Doeschate (14) soon joined his colleagues at the dug out,caught by Akmal off Malik but not before hitting the off-spinner for a six.

Afridi added another when Edgar Schiferli hit one straight to Ajmal at long off.

Ajmal rounded off his tally with the wicket of Dirk Nannes,stumped by Akmal and then Umar Gul sealed the victory and a spot in the next stage for Pakistan,cleaning up Pieter Seelar.

Standing on the elimination door after the huge loss against England in their tournament opener,Pakistani openers Akmal and Salman Butt (18) started cautiously against the Netherlands Australia-born pacer Dirk Nannes but found going rather easy against other bowlers.

The openers had stitched together a 38-run stand before ten Doeschate removed Butt to draw first blood in the fifth over.

But with Akmal and Malik showing no signs of being perturbed,the Dutch bowlers were in for a difficult time.

Akmal pulled Borren for a six and then meted out the same treatment to ten Doeschate before Seelaar ended his 30-ball stay.

Malik could not make the most of the life he got at 14 and fell to Borren but Younis and Misbah ensured the momentum was not lost.

Younis hit ten Doeschate over mid-wicket for his first six and then went on to clobber Seelaar for back-to-back sixes before falling in the same over.

Afridi (13) looked in terrible hurry as he hit Nannes for a six and fell in the next delivery but Misbah ensured they reached the 175-mark.

Seelar was the pick of the bowlers for the Netherlands with figures of two for 36 fron his four overs.