ABU DHABI // The UAE’s series against Papua New Guinea ended the way it started precisely two weeks earlier, with Mohammed Usman and Rameez Shahzad playing the home team to a rousing victory.
In between times the UAE have won series across three different formats, and set a variety of records in the process.
Given the way they are performing now, they must be wishing they were at the start of the season, rather than right at the end of a busy one.
Shaiman Anwar chose the final day of a season of home internationals to set a new record for UAE.
The right-hander, who two years ago became the first UAE player to score a World Cup century, became the first to hit one in Twenty20 international cricket, too.
Shaiman made the sizeable playing area at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, which is known as one of the biggest in world cricket, seem like a postage stamp as he razed the PNG bowling attack.
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He hit 10 fours and six sixes in his 117 not out, which he made in just 68 balls, paving the way for a 30-run win in the first of two matches in the same day, in 40 degree heat.
The improvement of the batting line-up has been the most conspicuous feature of the past two weeks. Shaiman’s was the fourth century the previously run-shy UAE have managed in that space of time.
“We have got big runs, and it shows there is a good future for our team and for the country,” Shaiman said.
“Hopefully, in the next couple of years, we are able to play like we have in the past two months, and we could beat [leading Associate sides] Afghanistan and Ireland. There are just small mistakes we have to improve on.”
Usman, who made his maiden first-class century last week, proved his worth in the second match of the day.
The UAE were struggling on six for three in pursuit of 129 when Usman was reunited with Rameez, with whom he had shared a match-winning stand in the first one-day international between these teams on March 31.
Usman made 58 in a stand worth 100, which set the hosts up for a five-wicket win to seal the 3-0 series whitewash.
“In the past, if Shaiman didn’t score runs, the team panicked,” Dougie Brown, the UAE coach, said. “He was thought of as the best player, and if he didn’t score runs, then nobody can.
“Shaiman has had a lean run but you can’t keep a good player down. The hundred he scored was as good as you will see, geared perfectly.
“But there have also been guys who previously haven’t scored runs who now are. Guys are playing towards a strategy and a team goal. Fifties used to be outstanding, now they are not. Hundreds is what the guys want to deal in.”
While the batsmen earned the plaudits for the way they fared in this series, the bowlers just carried on as their reliable old selves.
Mohammed Naveed took seven wickets across the three T20 matches, at a miserly economy rate of 6.09 runs per over, too.
It could even be enough to lift the fast bowler into the top 10 of the world rankings for T20 bowlers. He is currently 11th, one place below India’s Ravichandran Ashwin.
“When we arrived at the ground this morning, I actually discussed with Shaiman that if I took four or five wickets, maybe I could get into the top 10,” Naveed said. “I checked my mobile to see my number. It was 11, and it made me try harder.”
UAE v PNG
Results
UAE won the one-day international series 2-1
UAE won the Intercontinental Cup match by nine wickets
UAE won the Twenty20 international series 3-0
Records
The UAE team have enjoyed a productive few weeks on the field. Here are some of the records that have been set:
• Best UAE bowling figures in a one-day international (March 2, Zahoor Khan, six for 34, v Ireland)
• Highest UAE total in one-day internationals (March 31 — 292 for five, v PNG)
• First UAE player to score a century and take five wickets in a one-day international (April 4 — Rohan Mustafa, 109, five for 25, v PNG)
• Highest UAE total in Twenty20 internationals (April 14 — 180 for three, v PNG)
• First UAE batsman to score a century in Twenty20 internationals (April 14 — Shaiman Anwar, 117 not out, v PNG)
pradley@thenational.ae
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