GEELONG: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) sealed their first-ever win in the ICC T20 World Cup to crush Namibia’s hopes of Super 12 qualification in a final-over thriller.
Following UAE’s victory over Namibia, the Netherlands make their way to the Super 12s and will join Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and South Africa in Group 2.
The UAE bowlers decimated Namibia’s top order and restricted them to 46/5 in the eighth over.
Following the slump, in a must-win game for Namibia, prolific all-rounder David Wiese stood up for his team and scripted an astounding fightback with his heroic knock.
The right-handed batter kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly while his side lost two quick wickets in the 13th over. He then put on a vital eighth-wicket partnership with Ruben Trumpelmann, who remained not out on 25.
Wiese’s heroics, in the end, however, went in vain as he fell on the fourth delivery of the final over when his side needed 10 off just three.
Muhammad Waseem, who was defending 14 in the final over, leaked just six runs and hence guided his side to a historic victory as Namibia could finish at 141/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Zahoor Khan and Basil Hameed bagged two wickets each for the UAE, while Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique and Waseem struck out a batter each.
Batting first after winning the toss, UAE managed to put on a decent total on the board, thanks to their captain Rizwan’s quickfire knock at the death.
UAE openers provided a stable but slow start as they could amass 39 runs in the first eight overs.
In a slow first-wicket stand, wicketkeeper batter Vriitya Aravind found it hard to score freely before falling to Bernard Scholtz in the ninth over.
Aravind could score 21 in his snail-paced knock and faced 32 deliveries.
Following his departure, Waseem then joined hands with Rizwan and added 48 runs for the second wicket before Ben Shikongo removed him in the 15th over.
Waseem top-scored for the UAE with 50 off 41 deliveries and smashed three sixes and a boundary.
Alishan Sharafu had a disappointing outing with the bat as he could score a run-a-ball four amid his brief 16-run partnership for the third wicket with Rizwan.
With UAE struggling at 113/3 in 17 overs, Basil Hameed and Rizwan then charged on the Namibian bowlers and bolstered the total to a competitive 148/3 in their quota of 20 overs.
The duo scored 35 runs in the last three overs including a magnificent final over that saw them steal 21 runs from it.
Rizwan scored a quickfire knock of 43 not out off just 29 deliveries, laced with three boundaries and a six, while Hameed remained unbeaten on 25 off 14.
For Namibia, David Wiese, Shikongo, and Scholtz made one scalp each.
