Seamers
Amjad Javed and
Mohammad Naveed shared six wickets between them to dismiss PNG for 102 and set up a five-wicket win for UAE in the first T20I in Abu Dhabi. Debutant left-arm spinner
Sultan Ahmed, who took the the new ball, also impressed by taking 1 for 12 in four overs.
UAE lost three early wickets in the chase, but Shaiman Anwar's 25-ball 39 ensured they completed the win with 29 balls to spare.
After UAE opted to field, Sultan struck in the first over to have PNG opener Vani Morea caught behind for a duck. Javed then had Lega Siaka caught at mid-on for a duck as well. By the tenth over, PNG had slipped to 41 for 4, but Sese Bau and Mahuru Dai mounted some resistance with 22 and 31 respectively. Norman Vanua was the only other PNG batsman to reach double figures as Naveed carved through the middle and lower order. UAE folded when Rohan Mustafa bowled Willie Gavera in the 19th over.
Mustafa was then the first UAE batsman to be dismissed when Vanua had him caught behind. Before the end of the Powerplay, UAE had been reduced to 46 for 3, but Anwar offset the early wobble, hitting four fours and a six. He was bowled by Reva in the tenth over, and Muhammad Usman soon followed, but Mohammed Quasim and Ghulam Shabber sealed victory with an unbroken 19-run stand.