A greatly improved performance by the Netherlands saw them to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over old rivals Denmark at the Global Cricket Academy No. 2 Ground on Friday, the winning runs coming from the first ball of the 17th over.

But the game should arguably have been even more one-sided, with Denmark recovering from 70 for six with four overs left to reach 117 for nine, and with leg-spinner Bobby Chawla and seamer Aftab Ahmed forming an effective combination to slow down the Dutch run chase when it seemed as if they might clinch victory half-a-dozen overs sooner than was eventually the case.

The effect of this is that the Netherlands slipped behind Canada on net run rate, and while it is true that the Canadians have yet to face Afghanistan – a crucial match which is scheduled for Sunday afternoon – the failure to secure a more comprehensive win could yet come back to haunt the Dutch.

That said, the attack looked a lot sharper here than it had hitherto, with Michael Swart again bowling well in conceding nine runs from his three overs and claiming the valuable wicket of Fred Klokker, smartly stumped by Atse Buurman with the total on 16.

Then Peter Borren removed Shehzad Ahmed and his opposite number Michael Pedersen, Tom Cooper bowled Rizwan Mahmood, and Borren produced a very sharp run-out to remove Aftab Ahmed for 20, swooping on the ball in the covers as the Danes attempted an improbable single.

That made it 67 for five, which became 67 for six later in the same over when Pieter Seelaar bowled Kamran Mahmood.

Denmark were in danger of collapsing for well under a hundred, but they were rescued by a fine knock from James Moniz, who refused to be cowed by the situation and hammered a series of boundaries as the Dutch attack began to wilt.

When Timm van der Gugten, whose only over so far had conceded just three runs, returned to the attack, Moniz plundered twelve from three deliveries, and worse was to follow for the Dutch when in the following over he belted two Pieter Seelaar full tosses for six.

Wickets fell at the other end, Borren removing Chawla to finish with three for 14 and Mudassar Bukhari bowling Jacob Larsen, but two more boundaries, for Basit Javed this time, came from that final over, and the Danes' total of 117, though well short of a decent total on the small No. 2 ground, was a good deal more than the Dutch should have been chasing.

Moniz finished with a splendid 26-ball 47, including four fours and three sixes.

The Dutch reply got off to a nightmare start when Swart was run out off the very first delivery without facing a ball, but Stephan Myburgh began in imperious form, racing to 36 from just 23 deliveries.

By that time, however, he had lost Alexei Kervezee for 11, and when Cooper soon afterwards, caught and bowled by Michael Pedersen, the Dutch were 54 for three.

This brought Wesley Barresi in to join Myburgh, and he immediately went after Pedersen, hitting him for four and six from the first two deliveries he received.

But then Chawla and Aftab Ahmed came into the attack, and only three boundaries – two fours and a six – came from their eight overs as they conceded just 18 and 20 respectively.

Myburgh, in particular, looked somewhat uncomfortable against Chawla, but he dug in, reaching his half-century from 40 deliveries. Barresi continued to work the ball around, and by the end of the 16th over just two were needed for victory.

Barresi struck the first ball of Sair Anjum's next over the long on boundary, and it was all over. Myburgh finished with 55 from 53 balls with four fours and three sixes, while Barresi made 45 from 30 deliveries with three fours and three sixes.

Saturday is a welcome rest day, but the Netherlands face another key test on Sunday morning, when they take on Papua New Guinea at Abu Dhabi. The Barramundis still have a chance of reaching the play-offs, but they will need to beat the Dutch if they are to do so. For the Netherlands, with games against PNG, Nepal and Hong Kong to come, every game is vital as they vie for a favourable play-off draw.