Scotland face a play-off to earn a spot in next year's World Twenty20 after losing by five wickets to the Netherlands in Belfast.
The Saltires now meet Kenya for third place in the qualifying tournament.
A 40 from Kyle Coetzer gave the Scots the perfect start but they failed to capitalise, reaching just 107-8.
The Dutch steadily hunted down the target, with Ryan ten Doeschate unbeaten on 24 as the win was sealed with 12 balls left.
It was a bitter blow for Scotland, who had begun as favourites to land both a spot in Tuesday's final against Ireland and a guaranteed berth in England next summer.
Coetzer, restored to the line-up after a day's sojourn back at Durham, produced the best innings of his sporadic Saltires career, setting out his stall with successive boundaries off Mudassar Bukari in the third over and two in four deliveries off ten Doeschate in the fifth.
For the first time in the tournament, it was an opening partnership that was building a platform, Ryan Watson surviving a drop to advance to 22 as his side reached 55-0 in their initial ten overs.
They failed to truly capitalise, however. Watson was clean bowled by Peter Borren and although Coetzer and Warwickshire opener Nav Poonia added 22 in tandem, the Durham man hesitated needlessly after driving into the covers and was run out, having faced 44 balls.
Colin Smith, the batting hero of Sunday's win over Bermuda, became the first of ten Doeschate's three victims for 23 when he lofted to Pieter Seelar at long-on, and for too long, the Scots found themselves stymied, adding just 24 runs in five overs.
It necessitated an attempt at a late flurry to increase the margin but wickets fell one by one. Gavin Hamilton top-edged to Darron Reekers (8), Neil McCallum failed to get off the mark when he drilled to Edgar Schiferli at cover while Poonia was run out next ball on 25.
Richie Berrington and Gordon Drummond suffered similar fates in the 20th over, having added two apiece, with John Blain unbeaten on three as the Dutch completed a recovery from the apparent abyss.
The Oranje displayed no apprehension. Although Reekers survived just three balls of Blain's opening spell prior to lobbing to Poonia at mid-on, Eric Szwarczynski and Tim de Grooth were hugely obstinate, providing the Scotland pacemen with little reward, finding enough gaps between crease and boundary to accelerate their cause.
De Grooth had advanced to 24 before Berrington made a much-needed breakthrough, thinning into the gloves of Smith but after 10 overs, the Dutch were poised on 56-2.
Berrington's wide delivery teased Bukhari, on nine, enough to nudge onward to Watson and then Majid Haq, recalled in place of Gregor Maiden, utilised his deft spin to halt Holland's progress.
It worked briefly, with just 11 runs conceded off his first three overs, and Blain (2-24) finally took out Szwarczynski, who clipped the ball high and down into Smith's awaiting gloves.
Watson caught an edge off Daan van Bunge to push the Dutch to 85-5, midway through the 16th over but ten Doeschate still lingered ominously.
The experience of the Essex all-rounder, though, was over-shadowed by Borren who made a critical intervention, rattling successive fours off the unfortunate Gordon Drummond to take their side a huge step closer to an unexpected triumph.
And ten Doetschate (24 no) and Borren (17 no) held firm as the Netherlands once again proved a thorn in the Scots' side, completing the job with two overs remaining after a six and a four from the Essex star.
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