Netherlands win a final-over thriller against the UAE

The second match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup turned out to be a thriller as Netherlands edged past UAE by three wickets in the final over to gain a crucial couple of points in Geelong on Sunday.

CP Rizwan’s decision to bat first after winning the toss didn’t turn out to be fruitful for the UAE as their batters couldn’t adapt well to the conditions in Geelong, with Netherlands restricting them to 111/8.

The track wasn’t that easy to bat on as the ball was gripping off the surface. The UAE batters tried to hang around with hopes of accelerating later in their innings but Bas de Leede shone with the ball, picking up three wickets in the 19th over to halt UAE’s progress completely.

Muhammad Waseem was the UAE’s top scorer in this match as he made 41 from 47 deliveries.

Meanwhile, the first match of Group B of the T20 World Cup kicks off with two-time winners West Indies taking on Scotland at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Monday.

It has been anything but smooth sailing for West Indies in the recent past. The squad that arrived in Australia have found the going tough, losing a T20I series against the hosts, and just about managing to see off a spirited UAE side in one of the warm-up games.
Having underperformed in the previous edition, skipper Nicholas Pooran has his task cut out as he tries to rebuild West Indies as the powerhouse of T20I cricket, which they were, not so long ago.

The current Windies squad lacks the stardust and depth of Daren Sammy’s teams that went on to lift the cup twice.

Scotland, meanwhile, come into the game on the back of a win against Netherlands and will fancy their chances as West Indies have looked shaky with bat and ball in recent times.

But bowling remains a concern for the Scots and they will have to be on top of their game if they have to pull off a giant-killing act.

Afghan cricket fans can meanwhile tune in and watch the match live from 8.30am on Ariana Television Network (ATN) on Monday.

The Zimbabwe vs Ireland match will also be screened live on ATN from 12.30 pm.

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