Ali Naseer shines as UAE toil in defeat to West Indies

King and Charles both made fifties, and Hodge and Chase took two wickets each as West Indies won the second ODI in Sharjah by 78 runs to clinch series

UAE captain Muhammad Waseem walks after being dismissed during the second one-day international against West Indies at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on June 6, 2023. AFP

West Indies claimed a series-clinching one-day international win over UAE at a canter in Sharjah on Tuesday night.

But the home team can at least celebrate the arrival of a new young player of great substance in the form of Ali Naseer.

For the second time in the space of three nights, the Caribbean side overpowered their hosts.

Brandon King and Johnson Charles both made fifties, and Kavem Hodge and Roston Chase took two wickets each as West Indies won the second ODI by 78 runs.

It was also the second time in successive matches that Naseer showed fight and skill in an otherwise doomed batting effort for the UAE.

Having made a breezy half-century on debut on Sunday, the teen all-rounder repeated the feat two days later.

Naseer hit three sixes and six fours in his innings of 57 from 53 balls to add some respectability to UAE’s run chase.

Earlier, the national team’s bowlers did well to limit the tourists to 306 given the start they made.

King and Charles were in fine touch in the opening game two nights earlier, and they slipped straight back into gear.

King followed up his maiden century on Sunday by top scoring with 64, and shared in a stand worth 129 for the first wicket with Charles in just 17 overs.

Charles was first to go after a brutal 63 from 47 balls, caught by the 17-year-old substitute fielder Ethan D’Souza off the 19-year-old student Naseer.

UAE were toiling in the sun at that point, staring down the barrel at a massive target. Once they got their opening, though, they were able to limit the damage.

Zahoor Khan was the pick of the attack. He took three wickets for 44, including the dismissal of Odean Smith which ended the innings with a ball to go. Aayan Khan, Naseer, and Sanchit Sharma each claimed two wickets.