Emirates Post hits record total, beats Singapore

The United Arab Emirates scored a record total at the TU Stadium in Kirtipur on Sunday as they beat Singapore by 201 runs in the ACC Super Cup to claim their second victory and strengthen their semi-final qualification .

Opener skippers Muhammad Waseem and Vriitya Arvind scored a century each and Ayan Afzal Khan scored a half century for the UAE as they were knocked out with 471 in over 50 overs. Chasing that tough goal, Singapore were limited to 270-9.

The UAE’s score was TU’s highest score on the ground, surpassing Nepal’s highest score of 397 against Bhutan in the 2003 ACC Emerging Cup. Raju Khadka scored a century in the game.

With their second victory in their third match, the UAE are level with leaders Hong Kong on four points in Group ‘B’. But Hong Kong has the game advantage against the UAE and dominates with run rate. The top two of the five teams advance to the semi-finals. The Singapore team still did not open the score after the third game and was eliminated in the semi-finals with one game less.

Captain Wasim, who came in for the start, scored 160 runs in 82 overs, including nine hits for the fence and 16 sixes. Waseem was the match’s man of the match and he also shared 246 for the second wicket with Aravind before Adwitya Bhargava caught him by Manpreet Singh in the 28th over.

Aravind shot a game-high 174 for 133 with 17 hits on the fence and seven sixes. He was caught by Abdul Rahman in a Ramesh Kalimuthu delivery in the 48th over.

Aayan Afzal Khan contributed 74 runs and faced 50 deliveries. He broke nine realms and thirty-six.

Singaporean bowler Adwitya Bhargava took four wickets while Kalimuthu took three scalps. Bhargava conceded 85 in his eight-over overs while Kalimuthu conceded 73 bowling for three.

In the pursuit, Singapore’s Manpreet Singh and Thilipan Omaidurai each scored a half century. Singh, batting at the four, had 66 off 64 balls, while Omadurai had 52 off 56.

Captain and opener Aritra Dutta contributed 38 for 32 and Surendra Chandramohan added 38 for 57. Vinoth Baskaran (18) and Abdul Rahman Bhadelia (16) were the other batsmen contributing double figures.