Pakistan conquer all-round de Leede to down Netherlands

Pakistan overcame a top-order batting hiccup with sharp pace bowling to beat the Netherlands by 81 runs in the second match of the 2023 World Cup.

Allrounder Bas de Leede picked up 4-62 as the Netherlands had Pakistan all out for 286 with an over to spare after captain Scott Edwards won the toss and elected to chase on a dry wicket.

De Leede then kept the Netherlands in the chase with a knock of 67 off 68 balls before Pakistan struck through express fast bowler Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi to bowl out the Dutchmen for 205 in 41 overs.

Rauf picked up 3-43, Afridi claimed 1-37 and Hasan Ali bagged 2-37 in his first ODI in more than a year after being recalled for the World Cup when Naseem Shah was ruled out with a shoulder injury.

The Netherlands, who qualified for the World Cup thanks to de Leede's epic all-round effort of five wickets and a century against Scotland in July, showed little rustiness from their victory three months ago and put Pakistan in trouble at 3-38 inside the batting powerplay.

Out-of-form Fakhar Zaman offered a tame return catch to Logan van Beek and captain Babar Azam pull off-spinner Colin Ackermann to short midwicket. Imam-ul-Haq was caught at fine leg when he pulled Paul van Meekeren as the Netherlands kept coming at Pakistan's top-order batters.

But Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, both playing in their first World Cup, scripted Pakistan's revival with a 120-run partnership as Edwards kept rotating his bowlers without success.

Shakeel used his feet well against the spinners in a composed innings of 68 off 52 balls that featured nine fours and a six. Rizwan made 68 off 75 balls.

Both batters departed in the space of four overs with Shakeel top-edging a sweep against Aryan Dutt and Rizwan clean bowled by de Leede.

Mohammad Nawaz (39) and Shadab Khan (32) played little cameos to lift the total while tailenders Afridi and Rauf also added 19 runs for the last wicket before Ackermann wrapped up Pakistan's innings.