Bowlers dominate first day's play

The first day of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Intercontinental Cup between UAE and Hong Kong witnessed an intense battle for supremacy.

The day began at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with Hong Kong winning the toss and electing to bat.

UAE bowlers wiped off Hong Kong's advantage of batting first by dismissing both the openers for just 26 runs on board.

UAE's medium pacer Ali Asad had opener Mark Eames caught behind by Mohammad Taskeen for 8.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nadeem had Hong Kong skipper Timothy Smart caught by Khurram Khan off Ahmad Nadeen for nine.

One down Adam Gunthorpe, keeping his head down, kept the scoreboard moving.

UAE introduced left-arm spinner Khurram and he struck by trapping Tabarak Dar leg before for five. Khurram also dismissed next man Manoj for a duck.

Skipper Mohammad Tauqir, who introduced himself, also struck by picking two quick wickets and Hong Kong slipped to 77 for seven. Tauqir also clean bowled a well set Gunthorpe for 38.

No 7 batsman Elyas Gul, despite running out of partners, hit an unbeaten 32 to help Hong Kong register 127 runs.

UAE began their first inning badly. Khalid Khan trapped opener Asghar Ali leg before for a duck. One-down Fahad Usman lasted only nine balls before being bowled by Khalid for one. Opener Arshad Ali, who returned to the side after an injury, failed to play a long innings. He hit two fours but fell for 10.

Three down for 21, Khurram joined vice-captain Syed Maqsood.

The pair lifted the team to safety by putting on 68 runs for the fourth wicket.

Maqsood hit five fours during his 73-ball stay at the wicket before being clean bowled by Elyas Gul for 28.

Khurram, keeping the strike, kept the scoreboard moving. When UAE needed two more runs to reach the 100-run mark, a well set Khurram fell, bowled by Gul for 56 (77b, 8x4, 1x6).

Gul went on to dismiss Sameer Zia, too, for six. Though Tauqir held on, playing 33 balls to score four runs, Nadeem Ahmad trapped him leg before for 4.

Ali Asad (10 n.o.) and Mohammad Taskeen (4 n.o.) put on 16 runs before close to take UAE to one run short of Hong Kong's first innings total.