Dubai: UAE’s hard-hitting batsman Shaiman Anwar, also known as ‘Sixer’ Shaimon, displayed his skill in hitting sixes against the New Zealand A team. During the course of his breezy 60, Anwar whacked New Zealand’s star bowlers like Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum for sixes.

Although New Zealand defeated the UAE by 78 runs in their first tour match at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Academy on Sunday, they had to endure Anwar’s onslaught.

Anwar top scored for the UAE, his knock coming off 57 balls, studded with five sixes and two boundaries. Chasing New Zealand A’s total of 246 runs, the UAE slipped to 21 for 5 when Anwar walked in and started hitting out at the New Zealand bowlers. He had good company in Krishna Karate, who also cracked 51 off 93 balls with two sixes and three boundaries. Together they put on 89 runs for the sixth wicket.

Anwar hit Vettori, hailed as one of the finest left-arm spinners, for three mighty sixes. Vettori, a veteran of 112 Test matches and 277 One-dayers with 644 wickets in both forms of the game, saw his deliveries sail over long-on, square-leg and mid-wicket. The UAE batsman then hit off-spinner McCullum over long-on and even stepped out and hit him out of the stadium.

Speaking to Gulf News after his knock, Anwar said: “Every time I go out to bat, it is normal for me to hit a delivery which is hittable for a six. I know Vettori is a great player, but I only watched his deliveries. I told myself the ball is coming out of a hand and not any machine and if I can position myself well I will get a six.”

When asked which was the best among his five sixes, Anwar said: “I think it was the first one off Vettori. It was a flighted delivery and I hit it correctly over long-on. It gave me the confidence to attempt more sixes,” said Anwar, who on Friday received the award for the best batsman of Kerala Premier League.

“It felt nice when New Zealand players clapped for me when I reached my fifty. It is great to get an opportunity to play against such great players and score against them,” he added.

New Zealand posted 246 aided by Martin Guptil’s 75 runs. The second match of the tour for New Zealand A is against Afghanistan on November 26 at ICC Academy.

Brief scores:

New Zealand A 246 in 49.2 overs (Martin Guptil 75, Anton Devcich 41, Daniel Vettori 36) beat UAE 168 in 45 overs (Shaiman Anwar 60, Krishna Karate 51, Kyle Mills 2 for 26, Adam Milne 3 for 24, Doug Bracewell 2 for 15)