DUBAI: Pakistan defeated the UAE in their second match in the ACC U19 Asia Cup today here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan’s all-round performance against the hosts proved their mettle, leading to a 69-run victory.
The match proved to be a hit for the visitors as they scored 314/3 in 50 overs, following a stellar performance after choosing to bat first.
Shahzaib Khan and Usman Khan batted brilliantly, scoring 94 runs together in 19.3 overs.
Eyeing for a half-century, Usman Khan was sent back to the pavilion after contributing 41 runs to the team.
The top-scorer of the innings Shahzaib made 132 runs off 136 balls, including 11 boundaries and six towering shots.
The opener was dismissed after Noorullah Ayobi bowled the final ball of the 45th over, which was caught by Aryan Saxena, leaving the team with 277 runs and two wickets down.
Coming in at three, Muhammad Riazullah was the second top-scorer of the innings, making 106 off 91 balls, including nine boundaries and three maximums.
Shahzaib and Riazullah stitched a solid partnership, helping the team set a challenging total.
Later in the innings, Faham-ul-Haq scored 20 runs off 13 balls.
Noorullah Ayobi bagged two wickets, while Uddish Suri dismissed one in the first innings.
On the bowling front, the men in green were remarkable, with Abdul Subhan dismissing six batters, while Ali Raza took two wickets.
For the hosts, Ethan D’Souza was the top-scorer of the innings 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 failed to chase 314 runs and ended up making 245/8 in 50 overs.
Besides D’Souza, Muhammad Rayan contributed a half-century.
Following this win, Pakistan is set to face Japan on December 4.
