Ireland end UAE's winning streak

Dubai : Ireland ended UAE's winning streak in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier with a 22-run victory in the second super four match at the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Though UAE's Saqib Ali hit a fighting 63 off 49 balls with five boundaries and two sixes, his knock went in vain. Ireland put up a spirited show with Niall O'Brien top scoring with 46 runs and Alex Cusack bagging 3 for 19.

Ireland got off to a quick start with their experienced openers William Porterfield and O'Brien putting on 29 runs in four overs.

Porterfield had scored 22 runs when Ali dismissed him. He then clean-bowled next man Andre Botha for 3.

Alex Cusak helped O'Brien take the score to 59. But skipper Khurram Khan forced Cusack, on 10, to pull towards midwicket where Mohammad Iqbal took the catch. However, Trent Johnston and O'Brien steered their team past the 100-run mark by the 15th over.

Medium pacer Qadar Nawaz provided the breakthrough forcing Johnston to pull a short delivery into the hands of Ali at midwicket for 19. With the very next ball, Nawaz forced O'Brien to hit towards mid-on where Shadeep Silva took the catch. O'Brien's knock of 46 off 43 balls contained only one boundary and a six.

Nawaz ended Kevin O'Brien's innings forcing him to top edge him to Arfan Haider for 13. John Mooney hit an unbeaten 12 while Gary Wilson hit a quick 19 before being run-out to ensure a challenging total of 152 for 7.

UAE got off to their worst start in the tournament with in-form opener Arfan Haider run out by Kevin O'Brien for a duck.

Mohammad Iqbal, on 8, hit Peter Connell straight to midwicket and Wilson took a good catch. Connell struck again to dismiss Fayyaz Ahmad.

At 3 for 17 in three overs, the mantle of lifting the team fell on Khurram Khan, but he lasted only six balls as Cusack took a one-handed return catch.

UAE's hopes began to fade when Naeemuddin Eslam scooped a slow ball from Kevin O'Brien to Porterfield at midwicket for 6.

Ali went for his shots ably supported by Abdul Rahman. They put on 46 runs for the sixth wicket till George Dockrell trapped Rahman leg before for 20 while Cusack clean-bowled Ali for 63 to end UAE's challenge.

Brief scores:

Ireland: 152 for 7 in 20 overs (William Porterfield 22. Niall O'Brien 46, Qadar Nawaz 3 for 23, Saqib Ali 2 for 27)

UAE: 130 in 19.1 overs (Saqib Ali 63, Abdul Rahman 20, Alex Cusack 3 for 19, Peter Connell 2 for 30, AC Botha 2 for 21)