UAE on brink of Intercontinental Cup victory over PNG

Sport360 staff 19:00 09/04/2017
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Haider (pictured here in ODI action for UAE) was in supreme touch.

    At the end of the third day’s play at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the UAE were in a strong position against Papua New Guinea thanks a second superb century of the match from Saqlain Haider.

    Trailing by 247 on the first innings, the PNG had reached 152 for four when stumps were drawn, needing a further 95 runs to make UAE bat a second time.

    If UAE go on to win, it will be their first in the Intercontinental Cup since they beat Namibia by nine wickets on September 23, 2013. They have lost three out of the four matches this season and drawn the one against Scotland, which was a wash out.

    UAE started the third day 299-6 and an already strong position was made even stronger as they reached a massive 441-8 when captain Rohan Mustafa declared the innings the moment Saqlain reached his century.

    Usman had propped up the UAE innings on Saturday with his effort of 103 after PNG were bowled out on the first day of the match for 194.

    Saqlain’s maiden first-class century (102 not out) came in 213 deliveries and included 10 hits to the boundary to ensure that his bowlers had a healthy lead with which to attack the PNG batsmen in the second innings.

    Saqlain entered the fray with UAE on 251 for five, the wicketkeeper-batsman dominated the second half of the innings. He put on 88 for the seventh wicket with Ahmed Raza, whose contribution was a steady 33, and then added another 50 for the unfinished ninth-wicket stand with Imran Haider (13) before bringing up his hundred when he smashed Mahuru Dai to the mid-wicket fence.

    Dai was PNG’s most successful bowler with four for 126 after bowling as many as 52.3 overs.

    PNG were rocked early in its innings when Raza removed Vani Morea in the eighth over with just 29 on the board. Imran Haider then got into the act with three wickets to have the visitors tottering at 106-4.

    However, Lega Siaka (51 not out) and Sese Bau (21) put together a stand of 46 to take their side into the final day of the battle.

    PNG currently occupies fourth place in the eight-team table with 40 points from four matches, while UAE isn bottom with just seven points after suffering three defeats in its four matches so far.

    Recommended