The win puts UAE firmly in control of their destiny, knowing that one more win in Group A will likely see them advance to the semi-finals.
For a team that has largely endured a torrid 2016, this win at the first attempt in 2017 was a major boost and should fill both players and staff with confidence.
Chasing a target of 153, the task was left in the hands of UAE’s batsmen, who have struggled so much in the past 12 months to back up the performances of their bowlers and see their side over the line.
For some time, that has been missing from UAE displays, unable to recreate what the Aaqib Javed sides so often did with Khurram Khan and Saqib Ali willing batters to shoulder such responsibility.
Two of the most guilty players in that aspect in the past year have been Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar, two of the most talented players in the side but often guilty of throwing away decent starts.
The pair came together at the fall of Shabbir at the end of the fourth over and they looked up for the fight from the get-go.
Typically, Rohan was the aggressor and his fifty was the usual fare or both the streaky and brutal.
He earlier survived a run-out scare when only an errant return from the boundary kept him at the wicket but there was no such fortune when he departed as a firmly struck Shaiman drive was turned onto the stumps with Rohan short of his ground.
It was a disappointing end to the opener’s innings and his departure shifted the focus on to Shaiman.
And moments later it seemed the cricketing Gods were smiling on him, as twice in two balls, he found Craig Williams at short mid-wicket but was dropped on both occasions.
It instantly proved costly as Shaiman launched two sixes from the next over to put UAE in complete control, heading into the final four overs.
Shaiman couldn’t see out the win at the crease and was run-out on the penultimate ball of the over for 53, leaving Muhammad Usman with the task of securing the one run needed to win from the last ball of the game. He duly delivered, driving for four as Namibia’s field came up in a desperate bid to force a super over.
Having lost the toss and been put in the field earlier on, UAE started well. Mohammad Naveed was superb up front, bowling both openers in his first two overs before Ahmed Raza chipped in with a third wicket that left Namibia 33-3 and struggling.
Led by JP Kotze’s 50 from 42 balls, the only team without ODI status in this tournament fought back to make what looked a challenging total of 152-7 on a tacky wicket in Abu Dhabi.
Captain Sarul Burger’s 32 was a valuable contribution alongside Kotze, setting a total that was sure to test the Desert T20 hosts.
Naveed finished with figures of 3-35 as UAE’s best performer with the ball, Zahoor Khan’s 2-26 the next best.
In another match, Netherlands successfully chased 147 to beat Oman by five wickets.
