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Hick Steers England To 49-run Win

Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday .An unbeaten century from Graeme Hick guided England to a 49-run win over the Netherlands on Thursday to all but guarantee a World Cup quarter-final place, but their limitations were exposed by the tournament minnows.

Hick, returning after missing the group B match against the United Arab Emirates with a hamstring injury, cracked 104 not out which was the backbone of England's 279 for four from their 50 overs after they won the toss.

Comfortable

That should have led to a comfortable victory but the Dutch, far from overawed, made a spirited reply, responding with 230 for six in their full quota, easily the best performance by a non- test team so far.

Tim de Leede made a blazing 41 in 42 balls, while the middle order pair of Klaas van Noortwijk and 18-year-old Bas Zuiderent both scored half-centuries and added 114 for the fifth wicket.

Their efforts never truly threatened to lead to victory, but their aggressive approach left much of England's out-cricket looking ragged.

Record

England's innings had also included a fine 89 in 82 balls from left-hander Graham Thorpe as he and Hick added 143, an England World Cup record for the third wicket, beating the 135 by Bill Athey and Mike Gatting against Pakistan in Karachi in 1987.

Pick of the bowlers for England was seamer Phillip DeFreitas, who bowled his 10 overs straight through to take three for 31.