DUBAI: Pakistan defeated UAE in their second match of the ACC U-19 Asian Cup today here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan’s all-round performance against the hosts proved their worth, leading to a 69-run victory.
The match was a success for the visitors as they scored 314/3 in 50 overs following a stellar performance after opting to bat first.
Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan batted brilliantly, scoring 94 runs together in 19.3 overs.
Eyeing a half-century, Usman Khan was sent back to the pavilion after contributing 41 runs for the team.
Innings top scorer Shahzaib made 132 runs off 136 balls, including 11 boundaries and six high shots.
The first goal was disallowed after Noorullah Ayobi bowled the final ball of the 45th over which was caught by Aryan Saxena, leaving the team 277 runs and two wickets short.
Coming to three, Muhammad Riazullah was the second top scorer of the innings, hitting 106 off 91 balls, including nine boundaries and three maximums.
Shahzaib and Riazullah stitched together a solid partnership, helping the team post a challenging total.
Later in the innings, Faham-ul-Haq scored 20 runs off 13 balls.
Noorullah Ayobi took two wickets while Uddish Suri dismissed one in the first innings.
On the bowling front, the men in green were outstanding, with Abdul Subhan dismissing six batsmen while Ali Raza took two wickets.
For the hosts, Ethan D’Souza was the innings top scorer with 84 runs off 102 balls.
Subhan hit the stumps in the seventh over, dismissing opener Akshat Rai for five runs.
The hosts tried hard but were unable to chase down 314 runs and ended up making 245/8 in 50 overs.
Apart from D’Souza, Muhammad Rayan contributed a half-century.
After this victory, Pakistan will face Japan on December 4th.
