Dubai: UAE are aiming for a clean sweep over Namibia after their spinners wrecked the hosts’ batting line-up for an impressive six-wicket win in the first one-day match of the two-match International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League Championship game in Windhoek.
Namibia were bowled out for a paltry 89 runs and UAE reached the target in just 25.1 overs losing just four wickets.
Speaking to Gulf News from Namibia, UAE skipper Rohan Mustafa said: “We want to win the second one-day match too following our victory in the four-day Intercontinental Cup match, this emphatic victory, and thus record a clean sweep over Namibia.”
Mustafa, who bowls off spin, showed the way for his fellow spinners by dismissing opener Louis Petrus van der Westhuizen and top order batsman Jan Nicolaas Frylinck. Leg spinner Imran Haider took three wickets for 27 runs and left-arm spinner Ahmad Raza bagged another three wickets for 18 runs. Together the trio combined to take eight wickets giving away just 62 runs, with pacer Mohammad Naveed too chipping in with two wickets for 13 runs.
Raza had earlier signalled his intentions with a match haul of eight wickets in the four-day Intercontinental Cup against Namibia.
Except for Westhuizen, who topscored with 41 runs and Craig Williams with 25 runs, none of the other batsmen could break the shackles imposed by the UAE bowlers. Westhuizen and Williams put on a 46-run partnership for the third wicket but their team were skittled out once that stand was broken.
Mustafa revealed that the wicket had some assistance for the spinners but his bowlers had used the conditions craftily. “It was a turning wicket and our bowlers did a great job. We took eight wickets for 18 runs in around 10 overs. It was indeed an impressive victory,” added Mustafa.
In pursuit, UAE lost opener Mustafa for just one run. Wickekeeper Gulam Shabber too fell for 8. Young Chirag Suri, who had played a fine knock of 41 in the four-day match, chipped in with a battling 26. Though UAE star batsman Shaiman Anwar too fell for 15, Rameez Shehzad kept a cool head to score an unbeaten 20 with the in-form Adnan Mufti scoring an unbeaten 21. The pair put on an invaluable unbeaten 39 runs off 34 balls.
The second match is on Saturday.
Brief scores:
UAE bt Namibia by 6 wkts. Namibia 89 in 28.3 overs (Louis Petrus van der Westhuizen 41, Craig Williams 25, Mohammad Naveed 2 for 13, Rohan Mustafa 2 for 17, Imran Haider 3 for 27 Ahmad Raza 3 for 18) UAE 92 for 4 in 25.1 overs (Chirag Suri 26, Adnan Mufti 21n.o, Rameez Shehzad 20n.o, Bernard Scholtz 2 for 24).
