It was, if anything, even more devastating than the defeat by Zimbabwe on Sunday, not only because the Netherlands came within one wicket of posting their first victory of the tournament, but because, to an even greater degree than in their other games, they were the architects of their own misfortunes.
The batting, after the Dutch were put in, was not without its positive features, not least the contribution of Coco Steenstra Toussaint, brought into the middle order, who made just 9 in 16 deliveries but who brought a stronger sense of purpose in the latter half of the innings than has existed until now.
Miranda Veringmeier was again a tower of strength at the start, making 25 from 20 deliveries, and her new opening partner Heather Siegers also batted positively for a 19-ball 16. But Veringmeier holed out to mid-off from the bowling of Norma Ovasuru, and Siegers was stumped coming down the wicket to Kaia Arua.
Although there was a little more momentum in the innings than in the previous games, the side could still only reach 105 in their 20 overs, due to poor running and a continuing tendency to hit the ball straight to the fielder: there were no fewer than 57 dot balls in the Dutch innings, and sluggish running accounted for at least 10 to 15 missed runs.
Sterre Kalis again anchored the innings with an unbeaten 33, including a superb off drive from the final delivery, but she faced 46 balls in all, and her strike rate for the tournament is now a modest 66.45, although she is one of only four players to have made more than 100 runs.
Ovasuru used eight bowlers, of whom Arua was the most impressive with one for 16 from her four overs. Sibona Jimmy conceded just 11 from three, and Pauke Siaka one more.
The possibility of Papua New Guinea chasing down this total seemed remote when the Dutch new-ball bowlers again claimed early wickets: bowling with excellent control, Lisa Klokgieters and Siegers had reduced their opponents to 8 for three by the end of the fourth over, with Klokgieters claiming two victims and Siegers one.
Cher van Slobbe made it 17 for four when she removed Helen Buruka, but now Siaka and Jimmy counter-attacked, taking advantage of some poor bowling by the Dutch and adding 45 from only 39 deliveries. Length was again a problem for the Dutch attack, and they bowled more than a dozen rank full tosses in their course of the innings.
The catching, until now one of the stronger features of the side in the field, also began to let them down: Siaka was dropped when she was on just 8 and again on 20, and either catch might well have turned the match the Netherlands' way.
The main exception to the poor bowling was Christine Erkelens, whose four overs produced three wickets at a cost of only 9 runs, two of her victims falling from successive deliveries, the first of them Siaka when she had made an excellent 29-ball 34 which included six boundaries.
But the rapid scoring rate had brought Papua New Guinea within sight of victory, and with the score on 80 for seven and four overs remaining Esther de Lange had to gamble on finishing off the innings.
Carmela Appel helped the Dutch cause by removing Arua to make it 80 for eight, and in the next over Cher van Slobbe had Ravina Oa somewhat unfortunately given out caught behind, and Papua New Guinea were on 89 for nine and needing 17 more from 16 deliveries.
Four came from the rest of Van Slobbe's over, and the equation was now 13 from 12. Klokgieters bowled the penultimate over, and the Dutch were almost home when No. 11 Kari Seura lofted the ball to the midwicket boundary.
But the chance went down, and from that point on Seura and Brenda Tau batted with great composure. Seven were needed from the last, and De Lange, who had until now bowled just one over, took the ball herself in an attempt to close out the match.
Seura and Tau were equal to the task, however, and the latter levelled the scores with one ball remaining. Seura struck that final ball through midwicket, and Papua New Guinea had pulled off what had seemed an unlikely victory.
There was to be further bad news for the Dutch squad within hours of the match, when the ICC announced that Erkelens had been reported by the match officials for a suspect bowling action.