Naveed and Mustafa inspire dominant UAE

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UAE claimed an emphatic 56-run (DLS method) victory over Papua New Guinea in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier at Harare Sports Club on Sunday 4 March.

Rain arrived in the mid-innings break after UAE had posted 221 in the first innings. Play eventually resumed after the clean-up job took longer than anticipated with PNG set a revised target of 175 from 31 overs.

PNG got off to a devastating start when Lega Siaka was bowled by Mohammad Naveed for a duck in the first over of the second innings after playing onto the stumps, leaving them 3/1.

A poor start got worse as the early overs ticked along. Assad Vala slashed across the line to an in-swinging delivery from Naveed, before the opening bowler claimed the wickets of Sese Bau and Vani Morea, who were out bowled and lbw respectively. Naveed ripped the life out of PNG's top-order, as they fell to 23/4 after just 4.6 overs, with the right-arm medium bowler claiming a four wickets for in no time at all.

When PNG reached 26/4 the DLS calculations revealed they needed to be on 66 runs to match the pace set by UAE. A pressure shot from Mahuru Dai, who was caught by Adnan Mufti off the bowling of Rohan Mustafa for 12, left PNG on 40/5.

Thereafter, echoing the pattern of the early-innings malaise, no partnership got going. 65/6 became 66/7; 70/8 became 109/9. PNG were eventually all out for 113, as Charles Amini (24), Jason Kila (13), Jack Vare (4), Chad Soper (19), Norman Vanua (20) and Alei Nao (2 not out) all came and went, providing glimpses of their ability but nowhere near enough to claim a mid-to-late-innings revival.

Imran Haider was impressive with 2/21 from his five overs, but it was Naveen who was the star of the show for the UAE, returning to the attack to seal a five-wicket haul with the dismissal of Vanua.

Earlier, UAE, who were sent into bat, got off to a good start with Rohan Mustafa, the captain, and Ashfaq Ahmed putting on an opening stand of 91 runs. Alei Nao drew first blood for PNG, accounting for Ahmed, who fell for a steady 56-ball 50.

The dismissal saw PNG slowly fight their way back into the game, as UAE slipped from 91/0 to 100/3 in no time. Nao sent back Ghulam Shabber for a first-ball duck and then after four overs Rameez Shahzad was run-out by Norman Vanua for 8 after a mix-up.

PNG's bowlers dried up the runs. However, Mustafa looked set and kept the scoreboard ticking over even when wickets fell at the other end.

He forged crucial partnerships with Shaiman Anwar and Adnan Mufti of 31 and 38 runs respectively. He played a captain's knock, but fell just five runs short of a century.

Anwar was trapped leg before wicket by Charles Amini for 14, while Vanua's tight fielding led to another run out as Mufti walked back for 16.

Mohammad Usman (16 in 15) and Mustafa fell in quick succession in the 46th over off Vanua. Usman became the third batsman to be run out, and Sese Bau took a splendid catch to remove Mustafa, whose 136-ball innings contained four fours and as many sixes.

Imran Haider was the last one to fall as UAE were bundled out for 221 in 49.4 overs. Vanua was the pick of the PNG bowlers with figures of 4/39.