United Arab Emirates vs Netherlands, ICCCWCLT, Today Match Prediction

UAE vs NED Match Prediction & Analysis

United Arab Emirates (UAE) square off against Netherlands in match 65 of ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 on Monday, 12th May. The match is slated to be played at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht and the scheduled start time is 2:30 PM IST. 

UAE are coming on the back off a dominant 97 run win over Scotland which is their third win in this cycle of CWC League 2. On the other hand Netherlands continue to remain consistent as they racked up yet another win over Scotland by 19 runs on Saturday. 

Current Standings -  The Netherlands occupies the 1st position with 24 points from 18 matches, having ed 11 wins, 5 losses, and 2 no-results. Meanwhile, UAE languishes at the bottom half of the points table with a mere 6 points from 14 matches, comprising 3 wins and 11 losses.

Head to Head Record - UAE and Netherlands both have two wins to their tally. The last encounter between these two teams took place in May 2025, where the Netherlands emerged victorious by 113 runs.

TEAMS PREVIEW

United Arab Emirates Preview

Having suffered two defeats while chasing against Scotland and the Netherlands earlier in the tour, the UAE secured a historic victory against Scotland in their recent CWC League 2 encounter. Winning the toss this time, the UAE elected to bat first.

Their openers provided a solid start, forging a 59-run partnership for the first wicket, with Aryansh Sharma contributing a brisk 56 runs. However, Scotland fought back, reducing the UAE to 114/3 in the 26th over. Skipper Rahul Chopra then played a captain's innings, anchoring the innings with a brilliant century (101 runs off 94 balls). In the death overs, Alishan Sharafu (32 runs) and Mohammad Waseem (41 runs) provided the late fireworks, propelling the UAE to a formidable total of 296/6.

Defending a substantial total, the UAE employed a spin-heavy strategy. Despite a good powerplay for Scotland, where they scored 69 runs for the opening wicket in 12 overs, the UAE spinners tightened the screws, stifling the scoring rate and inducing errors. Consequently, Scotland were eventually bowled out for 199 runs in 43 overs. Simranjeet Singh (4/30), ing his career-best figures, and Aayan Afzal Khan (3/41) were the pick of the bowlers. Spinners ed for 8 of the 10 Scottish wickets.

This confidence-boosting win sets the stage for a challenging encounter against the Netherlands. Known for their proficiency against spin, the Dutch will pose a sterner test. For the UAE to succeed, their seamers will need to strike early with the new ball, and their batsmen will need to minimize the dot ball percentage in the middle overs.

United Arab Emirates Predicted Playing XI:

Aryansh Sharma (wk), Sagar Kalyan, Asif Khan, Rahul Chopra (C), Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Waseem, Dhruv Prashar, Simranjeet Singh, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Jawadullah, Ayan Afzal Khan.

Netherlands Preview

Continuing their strong form in white-ball cricket, the Netherlands have taken a 2-0 lead in the series, securing a convincing 113-run victory over the UAE in match 61 and a hard-fought 18-run win against their neighbours Scotland on Saturday. In their recent match, the Netherlands stuck to their preference of batting first, posting a competitive total of 282/7.

Once again, Max O'Dowd spearheaded the innings with a fine knock of 68 runs. He was well-ed by Zach Lion-Cachet (78 runs) and Scott Edwards (70 runs), who maintained a steady scoring rate in the middle overs. Towards the end of the innings, Teja Nidamanuru (19 runs) and Bas de Leede (14 runs) provided the late impetus, pushing the Netherlands' score beyond the 280 mark.

Defending the total proved to be a challenging task for the Netherlands. Despite an early breakthrough with the wicket of Charlie Tear in the second over, George Munsey's aggressive century (106 runs off 101 balls) kept Scotland firmly in the chase. However, the Netherlands' bowlers responded collectively, with Paul Van Meekeren (3/39) and Roelf Van der Merwe (3/34) picking up crucial wickets in the middle overs. Their efforts helped the Netherlands restrict Scotland to 263/9 in their allotted 50 overs.

Max O'Dowd has been in exceptional form, currently the second-highest run-scorer in the CWC League 2 2023-27 cycle with 600 runs in 16 matches at an average of 40, and is the leading run-scorer for the Netherlands. Scott Edwards, with 466 runs, is also approaching the 500-run milestone and has been a consistent performer in the middle order. Aryan Dutt (27 wickets), Kyle Klein (25 wickets), and Paul Van Meekeren (24 wickets) form the Netherlands' formidable bowling attack.

Netherlands Predicted Playing XI:

Max O'Dowd, Michael Levitt, Scott Edwards (C & wk), Zach Lion-Cachet, Teja Nidamanuru, Bas de Leede, Noah Croes, Kyle Klein, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren.

Weather Conditions

The weather at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht on Monday, 12th May is expected to be around 14°C with clear skies and the wind blowing at 13 km/hr and a humidity of 64%. 

UAE vs NED Pitch Report

The pitch at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht, generally favours the bowlers and tends to be a low-scoring venue. The average first innings score here is 172 runs, and no team has yet sured the 200-run mark at this ground. Fast bowlers have enjoyed success here, having taken 32 wickets in the three ODIs played so far. The presence of live grass on the surface offers swing, while the wicket also provides pace and bounce. A score of 230-250 will be above par at this venue making it difficult for the side batting second. 

Toss: To Bowl

Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd in Utrecht has hosted three ODI matches to date. Interestingly, the chasing team has won two of these encounters, while the team batting first secured victory in the remaining match. But considering the trend in the current series where chasing teams have been unsuccessful, we predict that the team winning the toss will opt to bat first and then look to defend their total.