UAE register fourth win

UAE moved to second place in Group A of the World T20 qualifiers with a 36-run win against Canada in Abu Dhabi. Knocks from the top and middle order and three wickets from offspinner Nasir Aziz made sure that UAE registered their fourth win from five matches.

Put in to bat, UAE began well as openers Mohammad Azam and Shaiman Anwar laid a strong platform. Once they departed, Khurram Khan, Rohan Mustafa and Amjad Javed kept the scoreboard moving as they struck three boundaries each to take them past 150. However, medium-pacer Harvir Baidwan's spell of 4 for 23 meant they could not go beyond 159.

Canada lost an opener early but the second-wicket stand between Ruvindu Gunasekera and Ashish Bagai kept them on track. Bagai scored a 41-ball 43 but Canada lost two more wickets and were 36 for 3 in the ninth over. Bagai and Rizwan Cheema survived for four overs before Aziz removed Cheema and took two more wickets to dent Canada's chances. Despite a 21-ball 30 from Damodar Daesrath, they were all out in the last over for 123.

Ireland retained their spot at the top of the Group A table as Gary Wilson's late surge took them to a competitive total that was ably defended by Ireland's spinners.

Ireland were steady for the most part of their innings, with William Porterfield being the only top-order batsman to record a strike-rate above 100. Offspinner Frank Nsubuga ended the Ireland captain's 17-ball stay at the crease forcing a period of consolidation. The score dipped to 82 for 3 in the 12th over when Niall O'Brien was joined by Wilson and their controlled 61-run stand lifted Ireland to 147. Wilson's 40 came off 27 balls and included three fours and a six.

Uganda replied poorly, as the loss of an early wicket became prime fodder for spinners George Dockrell and Paul Stirling. Their eight overs fetched four wickets at the cost of only 35 runs as Uganda failed to control an ever-rising required rate. Though they were not bowled out by the end of the quota of overs, they were never in a position to challenge the opposition.

Hong Kong cantered to their fifth win in six matches courtesy belligerent half-centuries from captain Jamie Atkinson and Nizakat Khan and a four-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Munir Dar as they beat United States of America by 67 runs.

Hong Kong were barely hampered by a couple of early wickets as Atkinson and Nizakat piled on 118 runs for the third wicket, the only side to record two century stand in the tournament. Atkinson was top-scorer with 74 off 52 balls, with three fours and five sixes while Nizakat slammed four hits out of the park and two along the ground in his 38-ball 57. Both batsmen fell in the final over as Hong Kong finished at 169 for 4.

Dar found success early as his dismissed Fahad Babar and Akeem Dodson off successive balls. Six wickets fell for 25 runs including that of the innings top-scorer K Ganesh as Dar climbed to the top of the wicket-taking charts for the tournament, though Netherlands seamer Ahsan Malik is only one wicket behind him.