Netherlands romp to five-wicket win

Ahsan Malik starred for Netherlands with figures of 4 for 37 against Papua New Guinea as Netherlands completed an easy five-wicket in Rotterdam. Rain dominated the first half of the day, but it finally relented for a 30-over contest. Netherlands chose to field and immediately put PNG under pressure with early wickets.

Mudassar Bukhari dismissed the openers in consecutive overs, and Vani Morea fell in the fifth over for 1. Rain intervened again in the 12th over with the score 39 for 3 to reduce the match further to 24 overs each.

Assad Vala, who led PNG to a historic win against Netherlands in the Intercontinental Cup last week with an unbeaten 124, and Mahuru Dai offered brief resistance with a 34-run stand. Vala fell in the 13th over for 29 as PNG's innings never gained momentum. Netherlands picked up regular wickets - with Malik taking one each in the 18th, 20th, 22nd and 24th - ensuring that PNG could only muster 122 for 9 in 24 overs.

In reply, the Netherlands openers - Michael Swart and Stephan Myburgh - started briskly. They added 53 off just 42 balls before Myburgh fell for 20. Any hopes of a comeback were quashed by the second-wicket stand of 39 between Swart (38) and Ben Cooper (37*). Legspinner Charles Amini picked up three wickets but it was not enough as Netherlands romped home with 35 balls to spare.