Asia Cup Qualifiers 2022, Match 2: Kuwait chase down 174 against UAE in a cliffhanger

Kuwait beat UAE by one wicket with one ball to spare in the second match of Asia Cup Qualifiers 2022 in Al Amerat on Sunday (August 21). Chasing 174, Kuwait were in all sorts of trouble at 111 for six after 14 overs. However, Edson Silva (25 off 14) and skipper Mohammed Aslam (19 off 11) came up with fine cameos to lift the chasing side.

With nine needed off the last over, Yasin Patel smacked the first ball from Kashif Daud for a maximum. After Sayed Monib was run out for eight, Mohamed Shafeeq (four not out) hit the winning four off the penultimate delivery of the match to stun UAE.

Chasing a competitive target, Kuwait got off to a solid start, adding 53 for the opening wicket as Meet Bhavsar and Ravija Sandaruwan went after the UAE bowlers. However, the fielding side hit back by striking twice off consecutive deliveries in the seventh over. Off-spinner Basil Hameed had Bhavsar stumped for 27 and cleaned up Adnan Idrees (0) on the very next ball.

Kuwait’s chances suffered another big blow as left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza sent back the well-set Sandaruwan for 34. Usman Patel looked good during his stay at the crease, but fell to Zahoor Khan for a quick-fire 21 off 14. The UAE were firmly on top when Junaid Siddique had Shiraz Khan caught behind for seven at the end of the 12th over.

Hameed picked up his third wicket when he had Bilal Tahir caught behind for nine. Silva and Aslam then launched an amazing fightback for the chasing team. Aslam clobbered Rohan Mustafa for two fours and six off consecutive deliveries in the 15th over. In the next over by Siddique, Silva slammed a six and a four.

Kuwait’s chances suffered a blow when Aslam was run out at the end of the 16th over. However, Silva kept the chasing team in the hunt by smacking a four and a six off Zahoor. The equation came down to a run-a-ball for the last three overs. Silva was not there to see the side through, but the lower order ensured that his effort was not in vain.

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Chirag Suri shines with 88 as UAE post 173 for 5 against Kuwait

UAE opener Chirag Suri smashed 88 off 61 balls to guide his team to an impressive 173 for five. Sent into bat after losing the toss, Suri and Muhammad Waseem (35 off 23) added 78 for the opening wicket. Keeper-batter Vriitya Aravind also chipped in with 33 off 29 as UAE dominated Kuwait’s bowlers. For Kuwait, Shafeeq, Monib and Shiraz claimed one wicket each.

Waseem got UAE off to a confident start, smashing consecutive fours in the first over bowled by Shafeeq. Suri also joined in as the duo hit boundaries at regular intervals. Leg-spinner Shiraz broke the dangerous opening stand by dismissing Waseem in the ninth over. The UAE opener smacked four fours and two sixes before walking back.

Suri found another good partner in Aravind and the duo added 81 for the second wicket. The former looked set for a hundred when he was run out in the penultimate over.

Suri’s brilliant knock included nine fours and two sixes. In the same over, Monib had Zawar Farid caught behind for two. Looking for quick runs, UAE lost a couple more wickets in the last over, but managed to cross the 170-run mark. It did not prove to be enough though in the end.