ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES v NETHERLANDS Put into bat by Saqib Ali, The Netherlands started confidently with an opening partnership of 79 but, just before lunch, Alexei Kervezee was trapped leg-before by the left-arm spin of Khurram Khan. The latter also lured Ryan ten Doeschate down the pitch to have him stumped. When Eric Szwarczynski went cheaply to the off spin of Arshad Ali, the good work of the opening pair seemed to have been thrown away, but Bas Zuiderent found support from Peter Borren to add 42 for the fourth wicket, only for Zuiderent to hit Mohammad Tauqir into the hands of Fahad Alhashmi. His fluent innings of 77 had contained eight fours and one six and was made at a strike rate of 51.3. Borren and Daan van Bunge put on a further 59 but, like the earlier Dutch batsmen, both were out when looking well set. With no one able to make a really high score and with no large partnerships, it looked as though only a small first-innings total was possible but Edgar Schiferli struck a useful 32 to ensure that the innings came to a slightly below par 287. The Emirates relied heavily on their spin attack with Arshad Ali gaining a five-wicket reward for some well-controlled bowling. The Emirates batted out the remaining two overs of the day without incident. Amjad Ali and Arshad Ali patiently took the Emirates first-wicket partnership to 69 before the latter lost concentration and hit Mohammad Kashif straight to Kervezee. The Dutch leg spinner almost immediately accounted for Indika Batuwitarachchi but Saqib Ali soon dominated the bowling in a third-wicket partnership of 68. Saqib Ali’s 58 came at a strike rate of 79.4 and included eight fours and one six, a marked contrast to Amjad Ali, whose 55 was made at a strike rate of 28.9. Both were victims of the other Dutch leg spinner, van Bunge. Nizel Fernandes and Rashid Khan both began well and at 256 for five a substantial first-innings lead for the Emirates seemed likely. As with the Dutch the day before, however, no one was able to build on their start. Both batsmen fell to Schiferli with the new ball as the Emirates subsided to 281 for nine. With the score on 285, van Bunge dropped Fahad Alhashmi at slip off Schiferli, a miss which allowed the ball to run to the boundary and give the first-innings points to the Emirates. The fact that Fahad Alhashmi was bowled next ball was small consolation to the Dutch but this did give Schiferli a five-wicket return, a remarkable effort for a pace bowler on a pitch which thus far had favoured spin. The Dutch dominated the first two sessions of the third day as, after losing Kervezee with the score on 30, Zuiderent and ten Doeschate produced a partnership of 232 runs. Ten Doeschate was the more aggressive, his 146 being made at a strike rate of 78.0 with 20 fours and six sixes. He was eventually caught on the boundary attempting to reach his 150 with a six off Arshad Ali. The Dutch attempted to raise the run rate in the evening session but the results were disastrous as seven wickets fell for the addition of 43 runs. Zuiderent was undefeated at the close on 149, made at a strike rate of 54.5 but including only five fours and two sixes; this was only his second century in first-class cricket. Zuiderent was denied the chance of reaching 150 when Kashif was leg-before to Arshad Ali to the second ball of the day to give the bowler a match return of nine for 142. With a lead of 341 the Dutch pace bowlers made inroads into the Emirates’ batting. Despite useful contributions from Arshad Ali and Saqib Ali, the home side were in a desperate position at 89 for six. Nizel Fernandes and Mohammad Tauqir, whose not-out contribution in the first innings was critical to his team obtaining first-innings lead, added 119 but a mix-up found both batsmen at the same end, coincident with a brilliant piece of fielding and return from the boundary by Kervezee to effect the run-out. Fernandes was adjudged the player at fault. Shoaib Sarwar raised the tempo, scoring at a strike rate of 98.1 and reaching a half-century, but he could not prevent wickets falling regularly at the other end and eventually ran out of partners to give The Netherlands a relatively easy win. Bas Zuiderent was made the Man of the Match; not only did he score more runs than anyone else but he provided the anchor for his country in both innings. 148 ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08