Dubai: UAE pacer Mohammad Naveed’s five-wicket spell and skipper Rohan Mustafa’s all-round show gave UAE a winning start in the ICC World Cup qualifiers at Harare on Sunday. The UAE defeated Papua New Guinea (PNG) by 56 runs through Duckworth-Lewis method in rain-affected match.
UAE posted a challenging 221 through Mustafa’s 95 off 136 balls with four boundaries and four sixes and his opening partner Ashfaq Ahmad’s 50 off 56 balls with five boundaries and a six. The openers put on 91 in 17.6 overs.
In reply, PNG were bowled out for 113 runs in 25.5 overs with Naveed bagging 5 for 28 and Imran Haider chipping in with two wickets. Mustafa and Amir Hayat took one wicket each.
Earlier, PNG pacer Alei Nao struck twice to remove Ashfaq and wicketkeeper Ghulam Shabber, caught behind for a duck. Rameez Shahzad lasted only 14 balls before getting run out for eight runs. Shaiman Anwar scored 14, but was trapped leg before by leg-spinner Charles Amini.
Mustafa kept the scoreboard moving but both Adnan Mufti (16) and Mohmmad Usman (16) got run out.
Mustafa stayed on till the 46th over and steered UAE past the 200-run mark. Zimbabwe pacer Norman Vanua wiped off the tail with a spell of four wickets for 39 runs.
Chasing a revised target of 175 from 31 overs following rain interruption, PNG’s top order fell to pacer Mohammad Naveed. He clean bowled opener Lega Siaka for a duck and also clean bowled captain Asadollah Vala for 2. Next man Sese Bau too got bowled by Naveed. Opener Vani Morea, who entered double figures got trapped leg before by Naveed for 11. Half the side were back in the pavilion for 40 runs when Mustafa took the wicket of Mahura Dai for 12. A double strike by leg-spinner Imran Haider pushed PNG to defeat.
Brief scores:
UAE bt Papua New Guinea by 56 runs (D/L method). UAE 221 in 49.4 overs (Rohan Mustafa 95, Ashfaq Ahmad 50, Alei Nao 2 for 42, Norman Vanua 4 for 39) PNG 113 in 25.5 overs (CJ Amini 24, Mohammad Naveed 5 for 28, Imran Haider 2 for 21)
