Dubai: UAE skipper Amjad Javed tried everything to pull his team over the line, but failed against Ireland in a crucial match of the Desert T20 tournament on Wednesday.
With five sixes, he hit a run-a-ball unbeaten 47, but the UAE lost to Ireland by 24 runs.
UAE paid the price for a top-order collapse after Ireland posted 160 for six in 20 overs. The collapse began from the first ball when Boyd Rankin trapped opener Rohan Mustafa leg-before for a duck. In the next over, UAE’s star batsman Shaiman Anwar, who had hit four consecutive half centuries, followed for five, becoming a Craig Young victim.
Rankin went on to remove opener Ghulam Shabber too for nine. Rameez Shahzad became the second top-order batsman to fall for a duck in the third over. Mohammad Shahzad then departed, clean-bowled by Kevin O’Brien for 5 and half of UAE batsmen were back in the pavilion for 21 runs.
Mohammad Usman and Amjad Javed took the score to 57 when Usman fell for 24.
Ahmad Raza stayed on briefly to take the score to 77 by the 16th over. With UAE needing 78 runs from the last 24 balls, Mohammad Naveed and Javed went for their shots. Naveed hit Jacob Mulder for a straight six while he also hammered O’Brien for two consecutive boundaries.
In the last over, skipper Javed hit three sixes off Paul Stirling. Javed hoisted the first delivery over midwicket for a towering six, followed it up with a similar shot while he also hit the last ball of the over for a straight six.
It was a good toss for Ireland to win as they elected to bat first. Javed removed Stuart Poynter for five runs and then went on to dismiss Ireland skipper William Porterfield for a duck. Stirling (39) and Kevin O’Brien (40) lifted Ireland out of trouble through a 53 runs partnership. Gary Wilson chipped in with a quick 26 with two sixes and two boundaries to give Ireland a respectable total.
Meanwhile, Scotland pulled of a stunning seven-run win over Netherlands at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night. After posting 148 for seven, they restricted Netherlands to 141 in 19.2 overs through Josh Davey’s deadly spell of four wickets for 34 runs.
Brief scores: Ireland bt UAE by 24 runs. Ireland 160 for 6 in 20 overs (Paul Striling 39, Kevin O’Brien 40, Gary Wilson 26, Amjad Javed 2 for 16) UAE 136 for 7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Usman 24, Amjad Javed 47n.o, Mohammad Naveed 25n.o, Boyd Rankin 3 for 16, Jacob Mulder 2 for 20)
Scotland bt Netherlands by seven runs. Scotland 148 for 7 in 20 overs (Calum Macleod 20, Richie Berrington 38, Craig Wallace 21, Con de Lange 22, Safyaan Sharif 20) Netherlands 141 in 19.2 overs (Michael Rippon 42, Josh Davey 4 for 34)