Brandon King struck his maiden one-day international century as West Indies beat UAE – and the heat – in the opening game at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday night.
The touring side brought their pedigree to bear as they claimed a seven-wicket win in the first game of a three-match series organised to give both sides to prep before the Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe later this month.
The match extended Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s world record number of ODIs staged to 245. This was the first time one had ever been played in June, and the temperature proved a test for the players.
In a bid to combat the heat, all three matches in this series will have 4.30pm starts. Even then, it will be sweaty work for all involved, especially the fast bowlers.
The two sides have met before in international competition, but this is the first time they have met in a full bilateral series.
Each squad includes a sizeable quota of promising but untried talent. On first glance, it appears the youngsters of the UAE have a larger gap to bridge. The home side were outclassed on opening night.
King, the Jamaican opener, was comfortably the best in show. His innings of 112 reached a peak when he hit three fours in a row off the bowling of Zahoor Khan as the tourists zeroed in on the target.
He reached three figures in fine fashion, too, as he took three sixes in an over off the leg spin of Karthik Meiyappan.
He went before victory was sealed, but it was scarcely less emphatic. The player who replaced him at the wicket, captain Shai Hope, launched successive sixes to clinch it with 88 balls to spare.
At least Ali Naseer had given the UAE’s bowlers something to defend, as the debutant all-rounder took to international cricket with great poise.
The 19-year-old university student arrived at the crease with the home team precariously placed on 107 for five at the fall of the in-form Asif Khan.
That soon turned into 126 for six, then 145 for seven as Rohan Mustafa and Aayan Khan fell to the pace of Dominic Drakes and Odean Smith.
But Naseer found a capable ally in the form of fellow youngster Meiyappan. Between them, they shared 48 for the eighth wicket to edge the hosts up towards 200.
Naseer’s role was sparkling. The left-hander reached his half century in 47 balls, and had hit two sixes and five fours by the time he departed for 58.
Once he was dismissed, as the second of three wickets for Keemo Paul, the end came quickly for UAE. They were bowled out for 202 off the first ball of the 48th over.
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
