Fine fifties steer UAE to superb win over PNG

Barnaby Read 12:15 18/09/2014
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  • On fire: Amjad Ali now has two fifties in as many matches for the UAE.

    An unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 147 from Swapnil Patel and Saqib Ali led the UAE to a comfortable seven wicket victory over Papua New Guinea in Darwin today.

    Carrying on from their first win of the ICC High Performance Programme tour of Australia over Northern Territory yesterday, the UAE's batsmen made light work of a highly competitive PNG total of 267-7.

    Patel (72 from 85 balls) and Saqib Ali (73 from 87) came together in the 21st over and remained at the crease to hit the winning runs and take the UAE to 271-3 with ten balls to spare.

    Opening batsman Amjad Ali earlier hit his second fifty in as many matches to set the UAE up superbly in their run chase.

    Ali, who made 69 against Northern Territory, was in imperious form once again. The 25-year-old left-hander's 56 coming at slightly better than a run-a-ball and included eight fours.

    Mohammad Shahzad (24) and Andri Berenger (33) provided excellent support for Ali at the top of the order but when the latter was caught and bowled by Lega Siaka the UAE were in danger of floundering.

    The UAE needed a calming infuence and from there on out Patel and Saqib Ali took control of the match and comfortably carried their team over the line.

    Earlier in the day, the UAE bowlers suffered at the hands of Tony Ura (73) and Vani Morea (61). 

    Morea's fifty was particulalry destructive, coming from 48 balls and including an impressive five sixes as Kamran Shazad 0-76) bore the brunt of some huge hitting from the 21-year-old.

    Nasir Aziz fared far better than Shazad and was the pick of the UAE bowlers, picking up three wickets from his 10 overs at a cost of 35 runs.

    The UAE's final two games of the tour come against South Australia on September 23 and 25 at the same venue.

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