Waseem ton helps UAE clinch T20 World Cup Qualifier A trophy

UAE’s opener Muhammad Waseem reserved his best for the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, supported by Dream 11, at Al Amerat on Thursday. Waseem’s swashbuckling knock of 112 powered UAE to a seven-wicket win over Ireland with eight balls to spare. Both the teams had already confirmed their tickets for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia later this year on Tuesday.

UAE’s victory confirmed their spot in Group 1 of the First Round in Australia. They join Sri Lanka and Namibia and will be joined by runner-up in Qualifier B that will be played in Zimbabwe in June. Ireland join West Indies and Scotland in Group 2 of the First Round. They will be joined by the Qualifier B winner, which will be held in June in Zimbabwe.

Waseem’s century was a sheer example of classy stroke play and the 28-year-old’s rampaging innings was laced with seven fours and an equal number of maximums. Having restricted Ireland, the only Full Member nation at the Qualifiers, to 159, UAE stuttered in the chase as Joshua Little made early inroads. Little removed Chirag Suri and the player in form, Vriitya Aravind, in a space of three balls as UAE were 12/2.

Aravind’s prize wicket raised the hopes of Ireland as the 19-year old had been the run-machine in the tournament. Despite the golden duck, Aravind finished as the tournament’s highest run-getter with 267. However, UAE had enough fuel in their tank and Waseem stamped his credentials as another player to keep an eye on ahead. Waseem’s ton, his second against Ireland, took him close to Aravind’s total runs as he finished with 241.

The previous century was struck in Dubai last year in October. Along with the experienced all-rounder Rohan Mustafa (37 not out), Waseem took the rival attack to the cleaners with some clean hitting around the park. Their 141-run stand almost got them the win before Waseem departed in the 18thover with UAE needing just six off 12. They ended at 160/3 in 18.4 overs. The win stamped the dominance of UAE over Ireland in recent times as they recorded their fifth win on the trot. UAE’s winning streak began in October 2021 in Dubai. Harry Tector struck a half-century to spare Ireland of blushes after they were reduced to 19/3 in just 3.2 overs.

Ireland openers, Paul Stirling and skipper Andrew Balbirnie, failed for the second match in succession. Between the dismissals of the pair, Gareth Delany, top-scorer in Ireland’s semi-final win against Oman, was removed by Kashif Daud. UAE bowlers were aided by some brilliant ground fielding as a couple of eye-catching catches were held. Tector and Lorcan Tucker orchestrated the revival with a 43-run partnership.

The two rotated the strikes and capitalised on the loose balls as Ireland inched cautiously towards the halfway stage. The two targeted leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan in his first over by taking 10. The leggie gave away 10 more in his second but had the last laugh as he had Tucker caught in the deep. Basil Hameed’s first ball of the match shattered the stumps of Andy McBrine and a over later Simi Singh was adjudged leg-before to Junaid Siddique. Ireland were in real trouble with 67-6.

Shane Getkate and Tector saw through the next five without further damage and set themselves up for some big hits in death overs. Those plans were thrown in disarray as Zahoor Khan returned for his second spell to gobble up both the set batters - Tector and Getkate in the 17th. Getkate was cleaned up for a 19-ball 30, which was studded with 3 maximums and Tector’s knock ended four balls later.

Tector’s 50 included 3 sixes and 1 four. Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy used their long handle efficiently in death overs to hammer down 26 off the next two overs. Rohan Mustafa removed them both to break the crucial 34-run late partnership in the final over. Mustafa and Khan picked up three wickets each for the UAE. The cameos from Adair (15-ball 20) and McCarthy’s (6-ball 15) got Ireland to a respectable total, though it didn’t prove to be enough.

Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland Captain said: “They (UAE) played some really good cricket. I think they have been the best side over this competition so congrats to them. We are disappointed because we scraped through to a really good total again. We had a really good Powerplay as well but someone scores a 100 at a strike rate of 200, it is really hard to stop and that was the difference today.