LONDON: Pakistan beat the Netherlands by 82 runs yesterday to ensure their passage through to the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup.

Shahid Afridi took 4-11, while Kamran Akmal had four stumpings and hit 41 as Pakistan bowled out the Dutch for 93.

"Everything went to plan," captain Younis Khan said.

"Beforehand, I said 170 or 180 would be enough. It's always good fun when you have a tight game and come from behind and win. The spinners are doing very well at the moment."

After losing their opening game against England on Sunday, Pakistan needed to win by at least 24 runs to avoid being eliminated on run rate.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, they made 175-5, with Khan contributing 36.

Despite some hapless fielding by Pakistan, the Netherlands collapsed from 42-1 as Afridi produced a devastating spell of spin bowling to skittle the Dutch middle order.

Pakistan made the initial breakthrough in the second over.

Darron Reekers struck two consecutive boundaries off Mohammad Aamer, but was bowled off the next ball.

The Dutch batsmen rode their luck at times, with a series of sloppy shots, but Pakistan's cause were not helped by some characteristically poor fielding.

Aamer should have had a second wicket, but Salman Butt - Pakistan's best fielder - dropped a simple catch from Alexei Kervezee.

The momentum shifted toward Pakistan as they took three wickets from two overs. Afridi bowled Bas Zuiderent's leg stump and Peter Borren top-edged a sweep to Butt off Saeed Ajmal.

Kervezee was then stumped by Akmal off Ajmal and though Afridi missed the chance to run out Tom de Grooth, fumbling the ball at the stumps, he redeemed himself with two wickets from three balls. First he bowled de Grooth, then had Daan van Bunge stumped by Akmal to reduce the Netherlands to 61-6.

The Netherlands then lost their last four wickets for just 31 runs, Pakistan completing the win when Umar Gul bowled Pieter Seelaar.

"We didn't have a good day," Netherlands captain Jeroen Smits said. "Afridi was outstanding. That's what we said in the morning: we had to fear Afridi and to play him straight, but that's not what we did. "Our bowling was OK but (the total) was too much for us. Unfortunately, we didn't make it through to the Super 8s, but I think we made an impact on Friday night (when the Dutch beat England)." Proteas edge out Kiwis; scoreboards - Page 46