Dubai: UAE will face Nepal in the final of the Tri-Nation T20I Series to be held on Friday. In the last league game against Hong Kong, UAE had a forgettable outing as they lost by 69 runs.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Hong Kong opener Martin Coetzee provided the perfect start smashing 86 from just 55 deliveries that included 10 boundaries and four sixes.
He along with Anshy Rath (41, 35b) shared a fine 106-run partnership for the second wicket. Babar Hayat provided the finishing touches smashing an unbeaten 60 from just 20 deliveries consisting of five boundaries and as many sixes as Hong Kong amassed a huge 212 for three in 20 overs.
Early collapse
In reply, UAE suffered an early collapse losing three wickets for just 19 runs. Alishan Sharafu (30) began the revival process but fell at the crucial stage. Basil Hameed (30 not out) and Nilansh Keswani (31 not out) struggled to score the big shots as UAE could muster only 143 for five in 20 overs.
Nepal finished top of the table with four wins from four matches while UAE and Hong Kong had one win each. UAE qualified to the final due to a better run rate.
Brief scores: Hong Kong beat UAE win by 69 runs. Hong Kong 212-3 in 20 overs (Martin Coetzee 86, Anshy Rath 41, Babar Hayat 60 n.o). UAE: 143-5 in 20 overs (Khalid Shah 35, Alishan Sharafu 30, Basil Hameed 30 n.o, Nilansh Keswani 31 n.o)
