Khurram stars in low-scoring win for UAE

UAE 198 (Khurram 53, Anwar 42, Zadran 3-24) beat Afghanistan 183 (Naib 43, Khurram 4-25) by 15 runs
Scorecard

The United Arab Emirates won a close, low-scoring contest against Afghanistan in the first one-day game. Three wicket-hauls from Karim Sadiq and Dawlat Zadran, part of a collective bowling display, helped bowl out UAE for a gettable 198. The pair helped trigger a collapse in which UAE lost eight wickets for 67 runs after being comfortably placed at 131 for 2 in the 24th over. Captain Khurram Khan scored a half-century, supported by Faiman Anwar at No.3, who made 42. But the middle and lower orders fell apart.

Khurram, however, starred in an all-round effort. Five of Afghanistan's middle-order batsmen got starts after the openers had been dismissed cheaply - the highest score among them was Gulbodin Naib's 43 - but weren't able to push on. From 146 for 5, they slipped to 166 for 9. Hamid Hassan took them closer with a spunky 22 but he was the last wicket to fall, trapped in front by Khurram, who finished with four wickets, to end the game with nine balls to spare and Afghanistan 15 runs short.