The significance of recording Round 19 victories on Thursday night for Al Shabab and Al Jazira should not be underestimated.
Those are the clubs directly below Al Ahli, the season’s standout side, with the pair currently separated from the Arabian Gulf League’s top team by six and nine points, respectively.
It is obvious to state wins represent a necessity this evening – Jazira travel to Dubai club while Shabab make the trip to Ajman – but, with the division about to break for one month, they simply must hang tight to Ahli’s coattails
Shabab may be the greatest benefactors of the four-week hiatus.
By the time the league resumes on March 21, Ahli and Jazira will have each faced three Asian Champions League matches, with another trio of continental contests on the horizon.
While they become distracted by their duel quests, Shabab will feel top spot is ripe for the taking.
For Jazira, a triumph on Thursday is simply a must. Fail, and Ahli go into Friday’s home tie with Baniyas with additional vigour; a six-point cushion could conceivably climb to nine, with only seven league matches remaining.
Should they go into the break nine points adrift, Jazira have only themselves to blame. The Abu Dhabi club have been unable to register victory in their past two encounters – eminently winnable matches against Ajman and Al Dhafra – and should, in their minds at least, be nearer Ahli at the summit.
Round 19 certainly provides extra incentive.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
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