Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman hit a century (109) and steered Pakistan to a hard-fought 16-run win over Netherlands in the first ODI in Rotterdam on Tuesday. This is Fakhar’s seventh ODI ton and it came off 109 balls, lacing with 12 fours and a hit over the fence.
Earlier, the visiting side won the toss and chose to bat in warm and humid conditions and however, they started off slow. A well-compiled century by Fakhar in addition to a fifty by Babar Azam (74) helped the team post a commanding total and in the end, Pakistan scored 314/6 after 50 overs.
Despite a valiant run chase, the Dutch finished on 298-8 against a spirited Pakistani side as debutant Naseem Shah (3/51) shined for Pakistan with three wickets. The youngster was ably supported by Haris Rauf (3/67) who also grabbed three wickets. Meanwhile, skipper Scott Edwards (71), middle-order batter Tom Cooper (65) and opener Vikramjit Singh (65) also slammed fifties for the losing side. However, Veteran Cooper and 19-year-old Vikramjit put on a 97-run stand to steady the Dutch innings against a strong Pak attack.
In the latter half, Edwards took bat to ball and in the end, the Dutch required 48 runs off 24 deliveries. Despite Edwards’ heroic knock (71 off 60 balls) the Dutch fell short of the winning score by touching distance. The second ODI is played at the VOC cricket ground on Thursday and the final match is scheduled at the same venue for Sunday.
