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Pakistan race past Holland

Shahid Afridi and Imran Nazir hit quickfire half-centuries as Pakistan raced to a nine-wicket victory over Holland in an inconsequential Champions Trophy league match on Saturday.

Afridi smashed 55 runs off 18 balls, which included four fours and six sixes, the last of which brought up Pakistan's victory in just 16.2 overs.

Pakistan scored 142 for one in reply to Holland's 136 all out in exactly 50 overs.

Afridi, who had earlier claimed three wickets for 18 runs, was named man-of-the-match.

Nazir, who started the onslaught, was the only Pakistan batsman to get out. He made a whirlwind 59 off 40 balls, which had 11 hits to the fence. Saeed Anwar, the other opener, was unbeaten on 28 off 40 balls.

With both teams already out of contention for a semi- final slot, the match only had academic interest.

Sri Lanka qualified from the group for the last four stage, where they take on Australia.

The Pakistani batsmen took full advantage of Holland's inexperienced bowling attack and entertained a small crowd with big hits.

Nazir struck three boundaries in the very first over by Edgar Schiferli which set the momentum for the rest of the innings. He then took 18 runs from Schiferli's fourth over as Pakistan brought up fifty runs in the eighth over.

Nazir, who reached his fifty off 36 balls, was finally out in the 12th over when he was caught by Bas Zuiderent at backward short leg off Feiko Floppenburg.

But that only worsened Holland's miseries as Afridi launched an even more vicious attack on the bowling. Afridi hit a boundary off the very first ball he faced before hitting four sixes in an over from Adeel Raja who conceded 31 runs in his 2.2 overs.

Earlier, Holland managed to survive their entire quota of overs but could muster just 136 runs.

Holland, who elected to bat, were all out off the last ball of the 50th over with captain Ronald Lefebvre remaining unbeaten on 32.

Lefebvre, who hit a four and a six in his 70-ball knock, added invaluable runs towards the end after Holland had collapsed to 84 for seven in the 29th over.

Holland once again had a poor start and lost four wickets with just 23 runs on the board before a 55-run fifth wicket stand between Tim de Leede and Luuk van Troost stabilised the innings a bit.

Leede scored 24 off 50 balls with two fours and a six while van Troost made 16 off 59 balls with two fours.

However, it was the extras that contributed most to the Holland total, the 21 leg-byes and 12 wides accounting for 33 runs.

Lefebvre added 28 runs for the eighth wicket with Reinout Scholte, who scored 11, and 23 for the last wicket with Adeel Raja (5).

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