The UAE have booked a trip to the T20 World Cup in Australia after beating Nepal in Muscat.
Ahmed Raza’s side beat their familiar rivals by 68 runs in the semi-final of the qualifying event on Tuesday.
It means the national team will be heading back to the global stage for the first time in seven years, and for just the fourth time in history.
They played at the 50-over World Cup in 1996 and 2015, and have had one previous appearance at the 20-over version, back in 2014.
In the seminal last-four match against Nepal, Muhammad Waseem set the game up with the bat, before – fittingly – captain Raza applied the finishing touches with the ball.
Waseem scored a neatly-paced half-century, then held three catches – one of which was a stunning, diving boundary effort. Raza later took 5-19 to seal the victory.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, UAE reached 175-7 from their 20 overs. They might have hoped for more while Vriitya Aravind was in the midst of his latest tour de force.
A day earlier, the tournament’s leading run-scorer had hauled UAE through to this semi-final with an extraordinary salvo which brought him 24 off the final over against Bahrain.
Straight away against Nepal, he picked up where he had left off. He blazed 46 from 23 balls before playing back to a googly from Sandeep Lamichhane and being bowled.
UAE were on 72-2 midway through the eighth, though. The scoring rate dipped, though, because of fine bowling and canny captaincy from Lamichhane, allied to the fact Mohammed Usman was scratching around for form.
All the while, Waseem was playing a fine hand. The opener had not been quite at his dynamic best to this point in the competition, but he picked the perfect time to fine form.
Waseem made 70 from 48 balls. It included four sixes, one of which caused a pause in the match between Ireland and Oman on the neighbouring field as the square leg-fielder in that game saw the ball bouncing past him.
He fell to the penultimate ball of the 17th over. Without him or Aravind, UAE were unable to apply a late surge to their overs, but 176 was always likely to prove a challenging chase given the pressure of the stakes they were playing for.
The start UAE made to the defence was ideal. Junaid Siddique first trapped Aasif Sheikh in front, then was on a hat-trick after he had Lokesh Bam caught at point by Waseem off the next delivery.
In the next over, he had in-form Kushal Bhurtel caught at the wicket by Aravind. Nepal failed to recover, and Raza ran through the middle-order and tail with five.
This qualification represents an extraordinary rise from the depths of a corruption crisis which ripped through the sport in the emirates in 2019.
From losing seven senior players to spot-fixing related suspension, Raza’s young side have risen right back to the global stage.
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
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THE RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Alnawar, Connor Beasley (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Raniah, Noel Garbutt, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 2,200m
Winner: Saarookh, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Rated Conditions Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: RB Torch, Tadhg O’Shea, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: MH Wari, Antonio Fresu, Elise Jeane
7.30pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,600m
Winner: Mailshot, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
