Late wickets scupper UAE fightback

Though UAE put up a much better batting effort in their second innings, their overnight lead of 81, with three wickets in hand, may not give them much comfort going into the final day. After the top order put on fifty-plus stands, they failed to stretch their lead as Scotland hit back with late wickets to give them the edge.

UAE's overnight pair of Arshad Ali and Ahmed Raza resumed on 74 for 2 and added a further 44 before Majid Haq removed Raza. The fourth wicket stand of 96 was UAE's best, between Arshad and Saqib Ali. Arshad made a patient 71, off 238 balls, before he was dismissed by Haq, shortly after UAE wiped out the deficit.

Saqib and Khurram Khan then put together another half-century stand. However, a double-strike by Gordon Goudie, the right-arm seamer, in one over, brought Scotland right back into the contest. He trapped both Khurram and Amjad Ali lbw, and four overs later dismissed the well-set Saqib for 77. Saqib hit ten fours in his 192-ball knock.

It was left to the tail-end pair of Fayyaz Ahmed and Amjad Javed to put up a fight.