Netherlands: Pakistan got off to a slow start before posting a commanding 314-6 in the first one-day international against the Netherlands in Rotterdam on Tuesday.
Left-hand opener Fakhar Zaman carved out a run-a-ball 109 – his seventh ODI century – while Captain Babar Azam hit 74 before being caught after mistiming a delivery from Dutch paceman Logan van Beek.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat on a hot and muggy day at the VOC cricket ground outside the Dutch harbour city in the first of a three-match series.
The home bowlers initially contained Pakistan’s batting, with the visitors losing their first wicket, that of dangerman Imam-ul-Haq, lbw to paceman Vivian Kingma in the sixth over for a painstaking two off 19 balls.
But Zaman and Azam eventually let loose and put on a partnership of 168 off 170 balls before Azam was caught in a soft dismissal when he mistimed a shot into the waiting hands of Tom Cooper at mid-off.
Zaman was dismissed two overs later when he was brilliantly run out by Dutch captain and wicketkeeper Scott Edwards off a pin-point accurate throw by Bas de Leede at deep mid-wicket.
Pakistan looked set for a larger total but the Dutch bowlers did well to restrict them on a sluggish pitch, with the spin bowling of youngsters Aryan Dutt and Tim Pringle causing problems.
The Dutch let themselves down in the field though and dropped several catches, Kingma notably fumbling a high ball to hand Zaman a lifeline when he was on 43.
