A fine fighting century by Tom Cooper was insufficient to give his side victory at Westvliet on Wednesday, as enterprising batting by Afghanistan, assisted by another poor Dutch performance in the field, enabled the Afghans to seal a six-wicket win with more than seven overs to spare.

Cooper's hundred, the first of the tournament, was matched by half-centuries by Mohammad Shahzad and Nowroz Mangal as Afghanistan chased down the Dutch total of 202 for eight on another pitch which, if it lacked some of its devilry of earlier in the week, nevertheless made life extremely difficult for the batsmen.

It did not come as a complete surprise, then, when the news came through during the Afghan innings that the two remaining matches scheduled for Voorburg had been moved to Excelsior's Thurlede ground in Schiedam, although it was a trifle ironic that the only totals of the day which were in excess of 200 were actually recorded at Westvliet.

Cooper, who had set a world record earlier in the tournament with three half-centuries in his first three ODI innings, went one better in this match, bringing his aggregate to 294. He demonstrated levels of technique and concentration which have been in fairly short supply here, and before he was run out off the final ball of the innings he had batted for exactly three hours, facing 155 deliveries and hitting nine boundaries as he contributed precisely half the Dutch total.

Bas Zuiderent assisted him for a time in the highest partnership of the innings, 52 for the fourth wicket, but the fact that the home side managed 200 was also due to two very good cameo innings towards the end, by Brad Kruger with 15 from 21 deliveries and Atse Buurman, who hit a run-a-ball 23.

Afghanistan relied to an unusual degree on seam as they sought to exploit the unpredictability of the pitch, Khaliq Dad Noori leading the way with an unbroken ten-over opening spell in which he claimed three for 30. And then Asghar Stanikzai took over, bowling a miserly spell and conceding only 22 runs in his ten overs and removing Zuiderent.

Leg-spinner Samiullah Shenwari profited towards the end as the Dutch attempted to raise the scoring rate, taking two for 43.

The Netherlands made a dream start when Afghanistan replied, Mark Jonkman removing Noor Ali with a delivery which kept sickenly low and then, three balls later, having Shabir Noori brilliantly caught behind by Buurman off one which climbed on him.

But then they dropped Shahzad twice before he reached double figures, and he proceeded to take full advantage of his good fortune. He unleashed a series of fine attacking strokes, and assisted by some very untidy Dutch fielding and supported by an unusually restrained Karim Sadiq he put on 84 for the third wicket.

The Dutch bowling, too, lacked the control and purpose the Afghans had shown, as only Cooper managed to stem the flow of runs for any length of time, and it was he who finally persuaded Karim into a false stroke. Nowroz now joined Shahzad, and after the latter's departure for 55, a second victim for Cooper, he and Asghar Stanikzai knocked off the remaining runs.

Nowroz's not-out 67, made from 53 deliveries with ten fours and a six, was a top-quality innings, and he finished things off with a series of boundaries, much to the delight of the hundred or so enthusiastic Afghan supporters.

The win means that Afghanistan will meet Ireland in the final if they beat Scotland on Friday, while for the Dutch there will be a play-off for third place against the losers of that encounter.