‘Simba’ and the magician give ‘fearless’ UAE a shot at place in Qualifier semi-finals


Paul Radley
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Esha Oza has urged the UAE to play “fearless” cricket as they chase a place in the last four of the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier.

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The two finalists at the 10-team event in Abu Dhabi will book their place at September’s main event in Bangladesh.

The national team remain in with a shot at qualification. With one game left in Group B, they sit third, two points behind the Netherlands.

The two sides vying for a semi-final berth will both be in action on Friday. The Netherlands have the advantage of playing second, against table-topping Ireland, after the UAE’s game against Vanuatu.

For the national team to overhaul the Dutch, they have to beat Vanuatu convincingly and hope the Irish win the later game.

In the process, the UAE have to attempt to improve a net run-rate that is currently +1.117 inferior to the Dutch, to leapfrog them in the table.

Although much has to go their way for them to stand a chance, the national team are in fine spirits, following their thrashing of the Dutch last time out.

Their 10-wicket win at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday night was the most complete performance yet by a UAE team that is appearing for just the second time at a global qualifier.

It was a fine comeback from a sluggish start to the competition in which they had suffered defeats to Ireland and Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe loss was particularly disappointing for the team, given the UAE had beaten them the last time the sides met, and the African team had suffered a shock loss to Vanuatu in their opening game.

But Oza, the UAE captain, said Zimbabwe had taught her side a valuable lesson.

“We were quite disappointed after the [Zimbabwe] game,” said Oza, who was player of the match against the Netherlands for her rapid half-century in the run chase.

“We expected a better result, but Zimbabwe showed us that anything is possible. Given the loss they were coming off, the way they fought back against us helped us understand that anything is possible.

“It is all about being fearless. Anything can happen if you are fearless, so hopefully that can work our way, too.”

Happily, the UAE side is infused with the fearlessness of youth. Amid the fine collective display against the Dutch, two of the outstanding performers are aged just 17.

Samaira Dharnidharka set the platform for victory with her excellence with the new ball, before a bewitching spell of leg-spin from Vaishnave Mahesh consolidated their advantage.

“They are our young guns,” Oza said. “We call Samaira ‘Simba’ [after the character from the Lion King movie] because she is our baby lion and she shows it out on the field.

“And Vaishnave is a magician with the way she spins the ball both ways. They are both just 17 but they play as though they are way older than they are.”

Dharnidharka finished the Netherlands innings with figures of three for 11, and that included a boundary off the penultimate ball of her four overs.

She listed it as her favourite day in cricket – other than when she took four for five in a match against Nepal that clinched UAE qualification for the last global qualifier.

Captain Esha Oza, left, has called on the UAE to be 'fearless' in their remaining T20 World Cup qualifier match. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Captain Esha Oza, left, has called on the UAE to be 'fearless' in their remaining T20 World Cup qualifier match. Chris Whiteoak / The National

“I think it is the best day yet – after Nepal,” she said. “I just kept bowling to my strengths, hitting the deck and trying to do what I do best, and hope they make the mistake. We can still make it to the semis and we are hoping to win the next game, too.”

Whoever does eventually advance in second place from Group B will almost certainly be pitted against mighty Sri Lanka.

Chamari Athapaththu’s side have won all three of their matches in the competition so far, with Scotland in second place in that group going into the final round of matches.

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Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

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Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

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Updated: May 02, 2024, 6:27 AM`