ABU DHABI // A final between the UAE and Afghanistan was always on the cards as they meet for the second time in three days today, this time to decide the winner of the ACC Twenty20 title at the Zayed Stadium. The UAE vented their frustration of losing to Afghanistan in the last ball of their previous game by handing the Group B winners Oman their first defeat in the competition, a seven-wicket thumping in yesterday's semi- final in Al Dhaid.
The left-arm medium pacer Moiz Shahid took five wickets for 20 from four overs to rip through the Omani team with his opening ball partner Qasim Zubair claiming two for 14 from three overs. Oman were dismissed for 50 and the UAE scored the winning runs in 8.1 overs for the loss of three wickets. "The bowlers did an excellent job, particularly Moiz and Qasim," said the Emirates captain Khurram Khan.
"This was a more important game because the winner goes into the final. The Oman batsmen also played to our strength by trying to heave every ball out of the ground. "We have done pretty well so far and looking forward to another good game with Afghanistan. This time the stakes are higher and both teams must be at their best to win. "The Afghan batting has depth, and they proved it the last time we met. Of course we have learnt from that game and will be ready for them."
Shahid and Zubair removed the openers Hemin Desai (8) and Syed Maqsood (6) in their opening overs and ran through the top order to have them tottering at 32 for seven in the seventh over. Irfan Haider grabbed the last two wickets from his one over without conceding a run to leave Awal Khan on 13 not out. The hosts did not get off to the best of starts, losing the opener Mohammed Iqbal to the first delivery, his second consecutive duck. But chasing the modest score never seemed out of their grasp, and Amjad Javed (16) and Irfan Haider (19), helped set them on their way to victory by chipping in with useful contributions.
Afghanistan eased to an eight-wicket win over Kuwait at the Sharjah Stadium to remain the only unbeaten side left in the competition. Nowroz Mangal stroked 51 not out and shared a 102-run stand for the second wicket with Mohammed Shehzad (45) for the Afghans to post a score of 117 for two in 16.4 overs after bowling out Kuwait for 113 in 18.1 overs. The Afghan coach Kabir Khan said: "We were not chasing a big total and the batsmen accumulated the runs with some good shot selections.
"It was a superb team effort at the end. The bowlers did a good job to restrict Kuwait for a modest score and the partnership between Nowroz and Shehzad set the platform. We are going into a new match and this will be the one that matters at the end." Oman and Kuwait will battle for third place starting at 10am and followed by the final between the UAE and Afghanistan at 1.45pm. @Email:apassela@thenational.ae UAE v Afghanistan, 1.45pm, Zayed Stadium