Dubai , 3 April 2008United Arab Emirates (UAE) wrist spinner Arshad Ali took a career-best 5-43 as the Netherlands was bowled out for 287 on the opening day of the ICC Intercontinental Cup match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Ali almost became unplayable as the Netherlands collapsed from 224-4, losing its last six wickets for 63 runs.
When stumps were drawn for the day the UAE had reached 10-0 with Arshad Ali (7) and Amjad Ali (3) to resume their innings on Friday morning.
Ali’s scalps included Eric Szwarczynski (9), Daan van Bunge (29), Mudassar Bukhari (0), Jerome Smits (7) and Muhammad Kashif (11).
Ali ran through the Netherlands ' lower order after left-arm spinner Amjad Khan grabbed two of the first three wickets to fall. It was Khan who broke the promising opening partnership between Alexei Kervezee (44) and Bas Zuiderent by trapping the former leg before wicket.
Khan’s second victim was the in-form Ryan ten Doeschate, who managed only six after scoring 116 against Namibia last Saturday.
Soon after that, Ali bagged his first wicket by dismissing Szwarczynski, while Zuiderent was dismissed for the highest score of the innings, 77, the only wicket of the innings for Mohammad Tauqeer. Zuiderent's innings was a watchful affair spanning 150 balls and it included eight fours and a six.
Peter Borren (56 off 84 balls with three fours and three sixes) in association with van Bunge added 59 runs for the fifth wicket to give some stability to the Netherlands ’ innings.
However, just when it looked that the Netherlands would post a score that would allow it to dictate terms, Ali took three wickets in a space of two runs to reduce the Dutch to 226-7.
Edgar Schiferli held the lower order together and scored 32 not out from 57 balls 32 not out that helped the Netherlands to its final total. Schiferli hit three fours and a six.
The Netherlands require maximum points from this match to keep its hopes of reaching this November’s final alive while the UAE is playing for pride after being already out of the tournament and appearing in this year’s tournament for the last time.
The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception three years ago and now the ICC's premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members' cricket schedule.
Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event has evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.
Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in both events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider and Canada in the 2006-07 event.
The final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08 will take place in November 2008 in the United Arab Emirates .