The Netherlands recorded their first away Intercontinental Cup victory in 8 years, overcoming a third-day fightback from the UAE to go top of the table.

The dogged efforts of Shaiman Anwar and Saqlain Haider to add 144 runs the 6th wicket coupled with some tail-end obduracy saw the UAE recover from a 151 run first-innings deficit to set their guests 126 to win. But despite regular wickets falling in a messy chase, the Dutch were able to close out the victory just before stumps with 4 wickets to spare.

With the Emiratis resuming still 15 runs behind and 5 wickets down in their second innings, centurion Shaiman Anwar and number 7 Saqlain Haider battled through the morning session to take the hosts to a 73-run lead at 224-5 by Lunch.

Quirijn Gunning would account for both of them immediately after the break however, his first two wickets of the match doubtless the most crucial, removing Haider and Anwar in consecutive overs. Vivian Kingma had Ahmed Raza caught at slip in the intervening over - Peter Borren's fifth catch of match and 36th in the competition putting him way out in front on the outfield catches leaderboard - and the monentum swung back behind the visitors.

It would be no easy cruise to victory for the Netherlands however, as Zaheer Maqsood struck a defiant 28 to add another 51 runs with the tail, leaving the Dutch with a 126-run banana-skin of a chase to negotiate.

With Rahil Ahmed again falling early and Michael Rippon perishing in a nervy run-out to reduce them to 31-2, the Dutch managed to make something of a meal of what looked a straightforward chase. Maqsood would strike three times in succession to remove O'Dowd, Barresi and Borren as the Netherlands lost another four wickets as they struggled toward the total.

With close of play looming perhaps a disinclination to have to return the following day added some uneeded pressure, but in the end the 126-run target proved insufficient to deny the Dutch, Pieter Seelaar striking the winning runs 20 minutes into the extra half-hour.

The UAE's third defeat in the competition leaves them languishing at the bottom of the table - having as yet failed to garner a single point. Meanwhile the Netherlands leap to the top of the table on 46 points, though second-placed Ireland trail them by only 6 points with a game in hand. Nevertheless the points keep them well clear of the rest of the pack and, as the mid-way point of the competition nears, in perhaps unexpected contention for a spot in the final.