UAE off to a winning start at ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018

Skipper Rohan Mustafa hit 95 for the UAE.

A fiver by fast bowler Mohammed Naveed helped the UAE outplay Papua New Guinea (PNG) for a 56-run win (DLS method) in the first match of their Group A clash of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
Naveed finished with career-best figures of five for 28 and leg-spinner Imran Haider took two for 21 as PNG were skittled out for 113 in 25.5 overs in their chase of a revised target of 170 in 28 overs.
Before Naveed's fierce spell, which saw him knock off top four PNG batsmen for 23, skipper Rohan Mustafa (95, 136 balls, four 4s, four 6s) and Ashfaq Ahmed (50, 56 balls, five 4s, one 6) gave the UAE a solid start with 91 runs in 108 balls for the opening wicket. Alei Nao drew first blood for PNG, accounting for Ahmed. The dismissal was a rearguard action by PNG as UAE kept losing wickets. UAE lost three wickets for the addition of only nine runs.
Rohan, however, held one end and with small partnerships with Shaiman Anawar (14, 23 balls, one 4) Adnan Mufti (16, 25 balls) and Mohammad Usman (16, 15 balls, one 4) kept the UAE score moving slowly but steadily.
He had crucial partnerships with Shaiman and Adnan of 31 and 38 runs respectively. He fell five runs short of his hundred at 208 as Sese Bau took a splendid catch off the bowling of Norman Vanua, who was the highest wicket taker for the PNG with four for 39. The UAE were eventually bowled out for 221 in 49.4 overs.
Chasing what looked like an achievable target, PNG were rocked by Naveed's fierece fast bowling.
In the fifth ball of the PNG innings, Naveed knocked off Lega Siaka's stumps. Then he was on the verge of a hat trick when he bowled skipper Assad Vala and Sese Bau in two successive ball in the third over of the PNG innings. After clean bowling three batsmen, Naveed trapped opener Vani Morea in front of the wicket to send PBG reeling at 23 for 4.
Coming in at No. 6, Charles Amini (24) was only one of the two batsmen to cross the 20-run mark as PNG wickets kept falling like nine pins. Imran Haider took two wickets for the winning team conceding 21 runs. Norman Vanua (20, 22 balls, one 4, one 6) delayed the inevitable a bit before Naved came back for his fifth wicket when Rameez Shehzad took the catch to end PNG innings for 113 in 25.5 overs.
Elsewhere, Calum MacLeod struck a magnificent 157 not out as Scotland stunned Afghanistan by seven wickets in their opening 2019 World Cup qualifier at Bulawayo on Sunday.
Afghanistan, one of the pre-tournament favourites to qualify, made 255 all out batting first, but MacLeod hammered 23 fours and a six in his blistering 146-ball knock to lead Scotland to victory with 16 deliveries remaining.
Hosts Zimbabwe lead the early Group B table, though, after their 116-run thrashing of Nepal, while Ireland got off to winning start in Group A against the Netherlands.
SCOREBOARD
UAE
Rohan Mustafa c Sese Bau b Norman Vanua 95
Ashfaq Ahmed c Norman Vanua b Alei Nao 50
Ghulam Shabber  c Jack Vare b Alei Nao 0
Rameez Shahzad run out (Norman Vanua) 8
Shaiman Anwar lbw Charles Amini 14
Adnan Mufti run out (Norman Vanua) 16
Mohammad Usman run out (Jack Vare) 16
Ahmed Raza c Jack Vare b Norman Vanua 5
Amir Hayat c Jack Vare b Norman Vanua 2
Imran Haider c Vani Morea b Norman Vanua 5
Mohammad Naveed not out 0
Extras (nb 1, w 5, lb 4) 10
Total (all out, 49.4 overs) 221
Fall : 1-91, 2-91, 3-100, 4-131, 5-169, 6-208, 7-208, 8-213, 9-221, 10-221
Bowling
Alei Nao 10-2-42-2; Norman Vanua 9.4-1-39-4; Mahuru Dai 10-1-36-0; Chad Soper 8-0-47-0;
Jason Kila 1-0-8-0; Assad Vala 7-0-33-0; Charles Amini 4-0-12-1
Papua New Guinea
Vani Morea lbw Mohammad Naveed 12
Lega Siaka b Mohammad Naveed 0
Assad Vala  b Mohammad Naveed 2
Sese Bau b Mohammad Naveed 0
Mahuru Dai c Adnan Mufti b Rohan Mustafa 12
Charles Amini run out  24
Jason Kila c Shaiman Anwar b Imran Haider 13
Jack Vare  b Imran Haider 4
Chad Soper b Amir Hayat 19
Norman Vanua c Rameez Shahzad b Mohammad Naveed 20
Alei Nao not out 2
Extras (w 4, b 1) 5
Total (all out, 25.5 overs) 113
Fall: 1-3, 2-14, 3-14, 4-23, 5-40, 6-65, 7-66, 8-70, 9-109, 10-113
Bowling
Mohammad Naveed 5.5-0-28-5; Amir Hayat 3-0-13-1; Ahmed Raza 6-2-23-0; Rohan Mustafa 4-1-11-1;
Imran Haider 5-1-21-2; Shaiman Anwar 2-0-16-0