ASIA CUP TUNE-UP
File Photo: Saim Ayub hit 69 off just 38 balls. © AFP
Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz hit 10 sixes between them in two fiery efforts that powered Pakistan to 207, and set up their 31-run victory over UAE in Sharjah. Pakistan’s preparation for the Asia Cup continued in full swing as they recorded their second win in as many days in the tri-series, also involving Afghanistan. UAE meanwhile, will also be enthused by the batting effort that saw them push as far as 176/8 in chase.
For the second time in the triseries, Salman Agha chose to bat and found a couple of aggressors in the top-order. Sahibzada Farhan departed in the opening over but Ayub and Fakhar Zaman laid down the marker for the PowerPlay by taking 22 runs off Junaid Siddique in the third over. Left-arm spinner Haider Ali hit back by picking the wicket of Zaman and giving away just two runs in the fourth over. Agha joined Ayub in pushing Pakistan to 51/2 in the PowerPlay. Agha fell in the eighth over but Ayub took over the mantle of decimating the bowling through the middle. He and Hasan dragged Pakistan to 93/3 at the halfway stage.
Saghir Khan took out Ayub in the 12th over for a 38-ball 69 but Hasan continued to put Pakistan on the ascent in the company of Mohammad Nawaz. They added 57 off 25 deliveries, with Hasan slamming three successive sixes off Haider Ali before perishing on the fourth delivery. He walked back for a 26-ball 56, that included two fours and six sixes. Siddique, Saghir and Muhammad Jawadullah conceded big runs at the death to push Pakistan past 200 in 19 overs. Siddique bowled a tight 20th over, worth seven runs, and still finished with expensive figures of 3-49. Saghir picked three wickets too, but went for 44 in his four overs.
UAE opener Muhammad Waseem flew off the blocks at the start of the chase, powering his team at close to 10-an-over in the PowerPlay. Left-arm spin of Mohammad Nawaz brought an early breakthrough when he took out Muhammad Zohaib. UAE were further rocked in the sixth over when Waseem was run out for an 18-ball 33 followed by Ethan D’souza’s exit on the next ball.
The stumble continued in the middle-overs and UAE saw the gap between them and the target widening. 54/3 became 76/5 before Asif Khan and Dhruv Parashar came together for a big, hopeful partnership where the former did most of the heavy lifting.
Asif attempted to dwarf the unlikely equation of 122 from 42 deliveries, as he started the 14th over from Sufiyan Muqeem with a four and a six. He then laid into Hasan Ali with two sixes and a four in a 19-run over. Muqeem then bowled a tight 16th over and Salman Mirza followed that with the wicket of Parashar. But Asif pushed on, hitting Muqeem for two sixes and a four in a 17-run 18th over. He took the carnage into the penultimate over too but UAE were left to chase 37 off the last six deliveries. He began the 20th with a four off Hasan, but fell on the next ball. He trudged off for 77 off just 35 deliveries with 60 of those coming from fours and sixes – six each. Hasan picked another wicket and closed out the win with a tidy final over.
Brief Scores:Pakistan 207 in 20 overs (Saim Ayub 69, Hasan Nawaz 56; Saghir Khan 3-44, Junaid Siddique 3-49) beat UAE 176/8 in 20 overs (Asif Khan 77, Muhammad Waseem 33; Hasan Ali 3-47, Mohammad Nawaz 2-21) by 31 runs
© Cricbuzz
