Skipper steers UAE into super sixes stage

Dubai: UAE skipper Khurram Khan played another match-winning knock to help his team clinch a place in the super sixes stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier being held in New Zealand.

Khurram cracked 78 runs off just 68 balls, studded with six boundaries, to ensure a 22-run win over previously unbeaten Hong Kong on Thursday.

With good contributions also coming from opener Amjad Ali (49), Rohan Mustafa (32) and No.9 batsman Mohammad Naveed (29no), the UAE posted 249 all out in 48.1 overs.

Hong Kong were then bowled out for 227 in 49.4 overs, with medium pacer Manjula Guruge taking four for 39 and Mustafa three for 53.

Afterwards Khurram said: “We are confident that we will qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup. We are taking each game as it comes and we are feeling good. We have played superbly and it is a great feeling.”

“Batting is our strength and now everybody is scoring well. The batting is clicking and that’s a very good sign for the super sixes.”

The UAE will meet Papua New Guinea in the first match of the super sixes on Sunday, before taking on Kenya on January 28 and Namibia on January 30.

Against Hong Kong, UAE openers Salman Faris and Ali put on 54 in 14.5 overs before Faris was bowled for 22.

Ali and Khurram took the score to 126 by the 26th over, when Ali fell one short of his half-century. Though the in-form Shaiman Anwar was bowled by Tanwir Afzal for six and Swapnil Patil departed after scoring just 11, Mustafa and Khurram took the score to 185.

After Khurram fell, Naveed swelled the total with a knock of 29 off 27 balls with two boundaries and two sixes.

In reply, Hong Kong lost wickets at regular intervals, meaning Mark Chapman’s knock of 59 went in vain.

UAE have so far lost only one match in the New Zealand event, going down to Scotland in a rain-affected match. When asked what went wrong in that game, Khurram said: “We lost to Scotland as, in the rainy conditions, the ball got wet very quickly and it was very tough for us.”