Dubai: UAE Skipper Mohammad Tauqir's all round show went in vain as Kenya registered their second consecutive win over UAE at the Mombasa Sports Club ground.
According to information from Kenya, Tauqir produced a deadly spell of 5 for 45 but could not stop the experienced Kenya team from recording an exciting nine runs win.
Tauqir, batting at No 8, sparkled with the bat too and hit a fighting 30 runs but could not help his team reach the target of 205. UAE were all out for 195 despite five overs remaining.
Once again it was Kenya's experienced batsmen who helped them post a respectable total.
Good start
Though UAE's opening bowler Shoaib Sarwar gave a good start by dismissing both the Kenyan openers for 30 runs, Collins Obuya and Steve Tikolo added 63 runs for the third wicket.
Tanmay Mishra too chipped in with 35 runs.
Obuya held the innings together through a fighting 65 runs which came off 92 balls with four boundaries.
He was finally trapped leg before by Ahmad Raza. Tauqir ran through the rest of the batting with a tight spell.
UAE lost an early wicket when opener Amjad Ali got out for 8. Arshad Ali too got run out for 24. Swapnil Patil, who cracked 49 runs in the first match, sparkled again to hit 41 runs. Except for Arfan Haider who hit 36 runs none of the other top order batsmen settled down to play a long innings.
Tauqir and Sarwar took the score from 156 to 187. Sarwar remained unbeaten on 12 as Shem Ngoche took four wickets to end UAE's challenge.
RESULTS
Summarised scores: Kenya bt UAE by nine runs Kenya 204 in 48.5 overs (Collins Obuya 65, Steve Tikolo 32, Tanmay Mishra 35, Mohammad Tauqir 5 for 45, Shoaib Sarwar 2 for 23, Ahmed Raza 2 for 33) UAE 194 in 45.5 overs (Swapnil Patil 41, Arshad Ali 24, Arfan Haider 36, Mohammad Tauqir 30, Shen Ngoche 4 for 42).
