Sharjah. UAE carved out a historic moment by recording a 2-1 series win over Bangladesh at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night. Alishan Sharafu, a 22-year-old batter, displaying a maturity much beyond his age, cracked an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls with five boundaries and three sixes and carried UAE to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh with five balls to spare. Asif Khan, affectionately addressed as Lala, hit a powerful unbeaten 41 off 26 balls with five sixes and no boundaries to put on an unconquered 81 runs partnership off 51 balls with Sharafu. The celebration of the UAE players after beating an experienced Bangladesh, a team that has played in all T20 ICC World Cups, extended past midnight.
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Amidst the celebration stood Haider Ali, a left-arm spinner, lauded by everyone for his deadly spell of three wickets for just seven runs from his four overs that destroyed Bangladesh’s top order. Pacers Matiullah Khan and Saghir Khan chipped in with two wickets each. If not for opener Tanzid Hasan’s 40 runs and Jaker Ali’s 41, Bangladesh may have been bowled out for less thant 150 runs.
This is how the drama unfolded leading to a special moment for UAE team coached by Lalchand Rajput.
UAE’s record hat-trick of winning toss
UAE won the toss for the third time in succession and elected to bowl. Bangladesh brought back Parvez Hossain Emon, who hit a century in the first match of the series but had missed the second match of the series due to a groin injury. They also introduced Shak Mahedi and Hasan Mahmud. Soumya Sarkar was not picked due to a back injury. UAE included Ethan D’Souza who received his T20 debut cap. Akif Raja and D’Souza came in place of Aryansh Sharma and Muhammad Jawadullah.
First match hero Parvez dismissed for a duck
Akif Raja, who has played in 18 T20 Internationals, opened the bowling. Tanzid Hasan cracked the second ball of the innings past point for a boundary. The last ball of the over was brilliantly hit over deep backward square leg for a six by Tanzid. Dhruv Parashar struck with the first ball of the second over by getting Parvez out for duck, caught by Alishan Sharafu at long-off.
Haider’s double wicket maiden
Skipper Litton Das walked in and hit Matiullah Khan’s second ball of the third over for a boundary through the covers and smashed the next delivery for a six over deep mid-wicket. Tanzid too hit the fifth ball for a six over deep square leg. Eighteen runs came off that over. Left-arm spinner Haider Ali trapped Litton, who missed a paddle sweep, leg before for 14 with the first ball of the fourth over. He also trapped Towhid Hridoy leg before for a duck. Haider produced a double-wicket maiden.
Tanzid’s back to back sixes
The fifth over saw Tanzid go for his shots and hit a boundary off the second ball and two successive sixes off the last two deliveries of the over and take 16 runs off Prashar’s over. Haider continued to bowl tight and clean bowled Mahedi Hasan with a beauty for 2. He gave away only two runs in that over. At the end of the powerplay Bangladesh were tottering at 49 for 4. Hard-hitter Jaker Ali joined Tanzid.
Half the Bangladesh side out for 57
When Akif Raja struck with the fourth ball of the seventh over to clean bowl Tanzid, Bangladesh’s half the side was back in the pavilion for 57 runs. Tanzid had kept the scoreboard moving through his quick 40 off just 18 runs before an angling delivery from Akif went through the gates to rattle the stumps.
Mazhar Khan, General Manager Sharjah Cricket present the player of the match award to Alishan Sharafu
Bangladesh 69 for 5 at half way mark
Haider once again bowled a tight over giving just two runs. Parashar too gave away only a boundary to Shamim Hossain to tighten the run flow. UAE introduced Saghir Khan who too bowled tight giving away just five runs and Bangaldesh, at the half way mark, were 69 for 5.
Matiullah’s double strike in 11th over
To make matters worse for Bangladesh, Matiullah struck twice. He first had Shamim slash into the gloves of wicketkeeper Rahul Chopra for 9 with the first ball of the 11th over and trapped Rishad Hossain leg before for a duck with the fourth delivery. He yielded only two runs in that over too. Haider once again bowled a tight over yielding only three runs and returned with figures of 4-1-7-3.
Jaker Ali hits out
Saghir Khan struck with the last ball of the 14th over having Tanzim caught by Waseem at long on for 6. Jaker Ali swung Matiullah for a six in the 15th over and Bangladesh went past the 100-run mark in 16.2 overs. Jaker lifted Saghir for a mighty six and also cracked a boundary and six off Matiullah’s 18th over. He also hit Saghir for another six over long-off off the first ball of the 19th over. Jaker fell to the second ball of that over caught by substitute Muhammad Zuhaib at deep backward point for 41 off 34 balls with one boundary and three sixes.
Bangladesh take 26 runs off the last over
Bangladesh crossed the 150 run mark though Shoriful Islam’s six off Saghir and Hasan Mahmud’s six off Waseem. Incidentally, Waseem even got suspended for bowling two beamer in the last over forcing Alishan to complete the over. Waseem was hit for two sixes and a boundary. That over produced 26 runs.
UAE off to a shock start
UAE began their chase losing the prize wicket of Waseem for 9 to the third ball of the second over from Shoriful Islam. His outside edge flew to Tanzid at fly slip. Alishan Sharafu joined opener Muhammad Zohaib, who hit Hasan Mahmud for two successive sixes in the fifth over. Zohaib escaped being caught behind at 27 when he was dropped off Mahedi. By the end of the powerplay UAE score read 50 for 1.
UAE ahead at half way mark
Sharafu scored a top-edged six off Tanzim in the seventh over. Bangaldesh introduced their strike bowler Rishad Hossain. He ended Zohaib’s knock of 29 off 23 balls by clean bowling him with a tossed up delivery. Rahul Chopra joined Sharafu and at the half way mark, UAE were 76 for 2. Bangaldesh at this stage were 69 for 5.
UAE reach 100 in 13 overs
Rahul Chopra fell at his score on 13 falling to a slower delivery from Tanzim, caught by Shamim at deep mid-wicket. All eyes turned towards the hard-hitting Asif Khan. Sharafu hit his second six off Tanzim over third man. UAE went past the 100 run mark in 13 overs.
Sharafu’s eighth T20I half century
With 53 more runs needed off 30 balls, Sharafu reached his half century in 38 balls through a six over long-off off Rishad. Asif hit the fourth and fifth ball of that over for sixes. Their 50 runs partnership came in 31 balls. Sharafu hit a fluent cover driven boundary off the last ball of the 17th over off to make it 26 off the last 18 balls. Asif hit Hasan for a six off the first ball of the 18th over over mid-wicket to announce that UAE is inches away from lifting the trophy
UAE does it in style
With only 14 runs needed off the last 12 overs, Asif hit Tanzim’s second delivery of the 19th over for a six out of the stadium over extra cover. He also lifted the fourth ball for a straight six to equal the score. Sharafu hit the winning boundary off the first ball of the last over from Hasan and remain unconquered on 68. Asif remained unbeaten on 41.
Waseem’s joy
Speaking to crickelovers.com UAE skipper Waseem who also received the Player of the Series said: “I am delighted over the performance of the boys. We are happy we created a special moment for UAE cricket. Through this win, I hope more top teams come to the UAE and play against us.”
Hero Sharafu on his knock
Player of the match Alishan Sharafu, speaking to crickelovers.com said: “Our plan was to keep the scoreboard moving. I had a great partner in Asif Khan who carries with him loads of experience. I am so happy that I played such a knock to set a special moment for UAE cricket.”
A special gesture from Khalaf Bukhatir
Khalaf Bukhatir, CEO of Sharjah Cricket, presented the entire ticket money from the match to the groundsmen who had prepared an excellent wicket for the series. He felt that the success of the series was the excellent wicket that was prepared for the contest and that should be rewarded.
Brief scores:
UAE bt Bangladesh by 7 wkts. Bangladesh 162 for 9 in 20 overs (Tanzid Hasan 40, Jaker Ali 41, Matiullah Khan 2 for 41, Haider Ali 3 for 7, Saghir Khan 2 for 36) UAE 166 for 3 in 19.1 overs (Muhammad Zohaib 29, Alishan Sharafu 68n.o, Asif Khan 41n.o)
Player of the Match: Alishan Sharafu
Player of the series: Muhammad Waseem
