May 3, 2006	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 4, 1427

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KARACHI, May 2: Pakistan ‘A’ stayed in contention for the final of the EurAsia Cricket Series in Abu Dhabi after scoring an easy six-wicket victory over Holland ‘A’ on Monday. The Dutch failed to most of winning the toss and batting first at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium when they were bowled out for 183 after losing four early wickets to Yasir Arafat.

Maurits van Nierop and Pieter Seelaar added 60 for the eighth-wicket after their side had slid to 105 for seven in the 30th over.

Van Nierop was last out for a 101-ball 60, a knock that featured five fours and one six. Seelaar was the second highest scorer with 26.

Yasir, using the new ball to telling effect, finished with excellent figures of four for 36 and was declared the Man-of-the-Match.

Shahid Yousuf, a diminutive right-hander from Sialkot, excelled in the run-chase with a compact 62 off 75 deliveries. His fine innings was laced with eight boundaries.

Skipper Hasan Raza remained unbeaten on 41 after adding 65 for the third wicket with Shahid.

Pakistan ‘A’ meet Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the last Group ‘D’ fixture to decide who qualify for Friday’s final against India ‘A’.

The Indians were playing Ireland ‘A’ in the last Group ‘C’ game on Tuesday.

Scoreboard

HOLLAND ‘A’:

T.N. de Grooth c Zulqarnain b Y. Arafat 12

E.S. Szwarczynski b Y. Arafat 18

A.F. Buurman c Tahir b Y. Arafat 4

D.L.S. van Bunge c Y. Hameed b Y. Arafat 4

M.W.A. van Nierop c Y. Arafat b Umar 60

P.W. Borren b Mansoor 15

J. Smits run out 12

Mudassar Bukhari b Tahir 1

P.M. Seelaar c Bazid b Mansoor 26

M. Ghaznavi b Umar 1

E.S. van Giezen not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-13, W-10, NB-3) 26

TOTAL (all out, 48.1 overs) 183

FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-35, 3-40, 4-47, 5-67, 6-100, 7-105, 8-165, 9-175.

BOWLING: Umar Gul 9.1-0-44-2 (5w); Yasir Arafat 10-0-36-4 (2nb, 3w); Mansoor Amjad 9-1-34-2 (1nb, 2w); Tahir Khan 10-0-31-1; Mohammad Hafeez 8-0-21-0; Hasan Raza 2-0-4-0.

PAKISTAN ‘A’:

M. Hafeez c van Bunge b Mudassa 9

Yasir Hameed c and b Borren 22

Shahid Yousuf c Szwarczynski b Borren 62

Hasan Raza not out 41

Bazid Khan c Smits b van Bunge 8

Misbahul Haq not out 15

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-20, NB-6) 27

TOTAL (for four wkts, 32.4 overs) 184

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-67, 3-132, 4-162.

DID NOT BAT: Mansoor Amjad, Yasir Arafat, Zulqarnain Haider, Tahir Khan, Umar Gul.

BOWLING: van Giezen 4.4-0-24-0 (3w); Mudassar Bukhari 3-0-32-1 (5w); Seelaar 10-0-35-0; Borren 10-0-54-2 (1nb, 2w); Ghaznavi 0.5-0-15-0 (4nb, 4w); van Bunge 4.1-0-23-1.

UMPIRES: Jasbir Singh (India) and S.S. Prasad (Singapore).

TV UMPIRE: R. Martinesz (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Yasir Arafat.