UAE take confidence from first World Cricket League win over PNG ahead of rematch

Rameez Shahzad, pictured against Ireland last month, starred for the UAE in the World Cricket League win against Papua New Guinea. Satish Kumar / The National

ABU DHABI // The UAE will attempt to complete back-to-back wins for the first time in this World Cricket League campaign when they entertain Papua New Guinea at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The UAE had a morale-boosting 82-run win over a side that are riding high, in second-place in the competition, on Friday.

It meant the national team, who had won just once in eight matches in the competition leading into that game, finally ascended off the bottom of the WCL table, as they leapfrogged Namibia.

The nature of the win provided plenty of reasons for optimism, as the UAE scored more than 250 for the first time in 13 one-day internationals, a run stretching back to the middle of the World Cup two years ago.

Indeed, the eventual score of 292 for five was the highest the UAE have managed in 33 matches in the 23 years they have been playing the format.

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Furthermore, it was built on half-centuries by players who are still establishing themselves at this level, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman and Ghulam Shabber. Once the national team had racked up such a substantial tally, they were confident, given the strength of the bowling attack.

Imran Haider, who has been a real find this year, took four wickets with his leg-spin, to derail the PNG top order.

In the absence of a third seamer, Ahmed Raza took the new ball with his left-arm spin. Despite bowling in the power-play overs, as well as returning at the death, he went for just 30 from nine overs, taking three wickets in the process.

Interim UAE coach Dougie Brown said he is hoping the side can build on their display in the opening match.

“Hopefully it can give everyone confidence, and that little bit of spark that has maybe been lacking over the past little while,” Brown said.

“We know that not everybody is going to perform all the time, but within the team it is important we understand that and give ourselves the best chance to perform.

“We prepare as if we are going to score a hundred and, if we get ourselves in, what we want to see more of is us converting starts into big totals, or machining partnerships, like we did [in the first match].

“We have seen some of that in the past month that we have been together, but we have yet to piece together 100 overs of really solid cricket.”

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