UAE takes on Nepal with Asia Cup berth at stake

The UAE cricket team is one happy and confidence bunch and it seems to be feeding of each other, as has been evident over the past few months. And the results are starting to show. On Monday, in the picturesque landscape of Kathmandu, rain-permitting, the UAE hopes to summit the peak, so to speak, before moving on to its next target.

The UAE will renew its new-found rivalry with Nepal in the final of the ACC Premier Cup with a berth in the Asia Cup to be hosted by Pakistan, at stake.

The winner will qualify for the tournament to be held in September and will be grouped with heavyweights India and Pakistan.

On Saturday, at the Mulpani ground in Kathmandu, UAE beat neighbour Oman by two runs by the DLS method in a rain-curtailed semifinal.

Emirates Cricket Board general secretary Mubashshir Usmani travelled to Nepal and congratulated the team.

In a closely fought match, where fortunes swung like a pendulum, rain stopped play with Oman needing 47 runs off 42 balls and four wickets in hand.

Oman were at 190-6 in 43 overs when downpour started, falling short of the DLS target of 193 in 43 overs.

The other semifinal between Nepal and Kuwait was abandoned with the host going through.

Nepal put up a total of 281-9 in 42 overs after rain forced the match to be reduced to 42-over-a-side game.

Kuwait were 37-6 in 8.3 overs when rain stopped play with Nepal pacer Karan KC picking up five wickets for just 10 runs in 4.3 overs.

Nepal booked the spot in the final as they had more points than Kuwait at the conclusion of the group stage.

Oman skipper Zeeshan Maqsood won the toss and put UAE to bat, a decision that was vindicated by the Oman bowlers, who came up with a disciplined performance to restrict UAE to 236 in 49.2 overs.

Spinner Maqsood was exceptional as he picked four for 32 while pacer Bilal Khan continued his fiery form to claim four for 44, including two in one over, to sent back Asif Khan and experienced Rohan Mustafa.

The Mulpani ground was assisting the slower bowlers in a big way and Oman’s off-spinner Jay Odedra kept a tight leash on the run-rate in the middle of the innings as he produced a miserly spell of 0/19 in eight overs while Ayaan Khan took two crucial wickets.

Muhammad Waseem was the top run-getter for the UAE with 48 off just 31 balls while there were notable contributions from Rameez Shahzad (46), Asif Khan (34) and Basil Hameed (34).