The Netherlands kept alive their hopes of repeating their qualification for the World Twenty20 tournament by pulling off a solid four-wicket victory over previously-undefeated Afghanistan in front of a large and partisan crowd at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday.

Winning the toss and electing to field, the Dutch knew they needed early wickets, and Mark Jonkman duly obliged by removing both openers in the space of four balls in the fifth over of the innings, his first. The Afghans had switched openers, Karim Khan and Nowrooz Mangal taking over this role, and they had started in lively fashion, taking 30 off four overs from Mudassar Bukhari and Ryan ten Doeschate.

But Jonkman’s double strike slowed the momentum, and when Ten Doeschate had the dangerous Mohammad Nabi caught by Peter Borren off the first ball of the next over the Afghans were suddenly 32 for three.

Mohammad Shahzad and Raees Ahmadzai set about restoring things, but then a fine piece of fielding by Eric Szwarczynski at long on accounted for Shahzad as the batsmen attempted a second run, the first of four run outs in the Afghan innings. Raees and Noor Ali added 31 for the fifth wicket, the best stand of the innings, but when Raees, having made 23 at a run a ball, holed out to Ten Doeschate at long on off Mohammad Kashif’s bowling things again swung the Dutch way.

Noor Ali was run out in the next over, the 16th, and Afghanistan were 86 for six. Shafiqullah Shafaq swung a Pieter Seelaar delivery to Kashif at deep midwicket in the next to make it 92 for seven, and the Afghans were in danger of complete collapse.

Samiullah Shenwari and Mirwais Ashraf had other ideas, however, and although they were both run out in the final over, their contributions got the total up to a reasonably respectable 128 for nine. It was probably a dozen or so short of what they needed, but they have one of the most effective attacks in the competition, and the game was still nicely poised.

But they, too, needed early wickets, and when Alexei Kervezee and Szwarczynski put on 64 in less than nine overs the audible enthusiasm of the crowd began to wane. As so often before, it was Mohammad Nabi who brought them back into the game, conceding a six to Szwarczynski but then bowling Kervezee for a 33-ball 39.

Szwarczynski clipped a hard and low return catch to him in his next over, departing for 21, and when Sami trapped Zuiderent in the next – the twelfth – The Netherlands had slumped from 64 without loss to 74 for three. Suddenly the Afghan flags were once more waving with enthusiasm.

Daan van Bunge and Ten Doeschate added a crucial 35 from 24 balls to keep their side in the hunt and ahead of the required rate, but there were still a couple of twists left: when Nabi came back he induced Van Bunge to hole out to Mirwais Ashraf at long on, and the Dutch were 109 for four.

There was a moment of controversy soon after – not the first of the innings – when the Afghans claimed a catch against Borren off what was obviously a bump ball, but having survived this the Dutch skipper was run out almost immediately by a sharp piece of fielding from Raees. When Hamid Hasan, who was not quite at his lethal best, found a yorker to remove Atse Buurman, it was 118 for six, and the wavering belief of the Afghan support was renewed with a vengeance.

But Ten Doeschate was still there, and he and Mudassar Bukhari saw their side home with seven balls to spare. It was enough to earn the Essex allrounder the Man of the Match award.

The win kept the Dutch in the tournament, although the margin was not quite enough to take them into positive net run rate territory, it gave them a fighting chance. As it turned out, Ireland’s win over the UAE would make run rates irrelevant, and the two final Super Four matches are effectively knock-out semi-finals.