A nine-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi gave the Netherlands plenty of cause for satisfaction on Sunday, but there is still plenty of room for improvement – at least in the bowling department – before the toughest phase of the tournament begins in Thursday.

There were, certainly, signs that the batting continues to settle into its stride: the opening stand of 96 between Stephan Myburgh and Michael Swart was the side's best so far, and effectively settled the issue even if it was dependent on some very poor catching by the Papua New Guinea side, and Tom Cooper looked increasingly menacing as he and Swart finished the job.

One reason for concern came even before a ball had been bowled, with the news that Timm van der Gugten was ruled out by a side injury. This brought Ashan Malik Jamil back into the team, and he performed well enough when he was called on by Peter Borren in the closing overs of the PNG innings.

It was Mudassar Bukhari who shared the new ball – for a couple of overs at least – with Swart when Rarua Dikana won the toss and elected to bat, but it was the off-spinner who put the Barramundis onto the back foot, bowling Assadollah Vala and then trapping Geraint Jones in front, so PNG were in early trouble on 23 for two.

Tony Ura, however, was looking confident at the other end, and he and Chris Amini now put together a fine third-wicket stand of 95, made from exactly thirteen overs. Both batsmen took full advantage of anything loose, and the Dutch bowlers found it impossible to maintain a consistent line and, especially, length.

Ura dominated the partnership in the early stages, but once he had reached his half-century, from just 43 deliveries, Amini began to come into his own as well, and by the time he was leg-before to Jamil, he had made 44 from 40 balls, with four fours and a six.

Mahuru Dai fell next ball to a typically messy Twenty20 series of events: Peter Borren's throw rebounded off the stumps as the batsmen took a quick single, and ran all the way out to Alexei Kervezee in the deep, whose throw to Atse Buurman was quick and accurate enough to beat Dai home as he tried for a second run.

PNG were now 119 for four with 22 balls left, and as Borren began the final over Ura and Vani Vagi Morea had added a further 13 runs. Six runs came from the first three deliveries, but off the fourth Ura fell trying a switch-hit he had employed effectively earlier; his fine 70 came off 58 balls with nine fours and a six.

Jack Vare-Kevere took a single from the next ball, but then Borren had Morea caught behind by Buurman from the penultimate delivery and bowled Rarua Dikana with his last, to finish with three for 24.

He was the most economical of the Dutch bowlers, but Bukhari also kept the runs down and Swart was again very effective in his initial spell, taking two for 11 in his first three overs, although when he returned later he went for another nine from his last.

Myburgh was again the more aggressive of the opening pair when the Dutch set out in pursuit of 141, and his 52, assisted by several lives, came from 38 deliveries and included four fours and two sixes.

But Swart was not far behind despite batting somewhat more conservatively, and he duly brought up his second half-century of the tournament in the 14th over. The scoring rate had briefly slowed after Myburgh's departure, but then Cooper hammered two sixes off consecutive deliveries from John Boge Reva to bring victory within reach, and five balls later it was all over.

The win brought the Dutch to the brink of a play-off spot, although they will need to beat either Nepal on Monday or Hong Kong on Tuesday to make absolutely certain. The issue is now less whether they make it, however, than who they are likely to face.

Assuming that Afghanistan don't slip up against either Hong Kong or Bermuda, they will win the group, while the Dutch will be virtually certain of second if they win both their remaining matches; defeat by Nepal (or indeed, Hong Kong) would put them at risk of finishing third in the group behind either Canada or Nepal, although they currently have a superior net run rate.

In the other group, Namibia remain unbeaten, and meet Oman and Italy in their remaining games. If they top the group, the other places will probably go to Ireland and either Scotland or Italy, who meet on Monday in a crucial clash.

It all promises a thrilling climax to the group phase, and some fascinating encounters in the play-offs.