UAE retain cricket Gulf Cup

UAE made it two on the trot when the hosts defeated Oman by four wickets to win the third Gulf Cup cricket tournament for nationals with an unbeaten record at the Sharjah stadium on Saturday night. Opener Qais Farooq struck a crucial 45 as UAE overhauled Oman’s competitive score of 137 for seven with three balls to spare in a tense finish. Oman, who won the inaugural edition of the event in 2010, were off to a solid start after winning the toss with their openers, Khalid Moosa and Mohsin Gul Baig, prospering in a 51-run stand. Moosa made 31 off 22 balls with three fours and two sixes while Mohsin chipped in 14 off 15 balls with three fours. Their departure changed the complexion of the match as Oman lost five wickets with the addition of just eight runs, crashing to 59 for five from a healthy 51 for no loss. Qais Bin Khalid (37 not off 31 balls with one four and two sixes) and Yousuf Rahim (29 off 31 balls with two fours and one six) steadied the stuttering innings with a 73-run stand for the sixth wicket. Their solid efforts meant Oman finished on a decent 137 for seven in their allotted overs. Salman Farooq and Saeed Al Saffar were the most successful UAE taking two wickets. While Saffar conceded 37 runs for his two wickets, Farooq gave away 22 runs. UAE, sensing a possible win, kept momentum going right through with Qais Farooq producing a stand out performance when it mattered most.  His innings of 45 off 40 balls contained seven fours and one six. With captain Mohammed Tauqir (21 off 21), Marwan Khamis (20 off 24 balls) and Fahad Al Hashmi (17 not out off 12 balls) playing sensibly in the middle of their innings, UAE provided the finishing touch to a well-deserved win in 19.3 overs. Qais Farooq of the UAE was named the man of the match. Saudi Arabia finished third in this four-team competition when they defeated Kuwait by 44 runs, thanks to a stunning spell by Waleed Shaikh, who grabbed five wickets for just 13 runs. Saudi Arabia, batting first, scored 136 losing eight wickets. Abbas Saad and  Mohsin Shaikh were the scorers for the Saudis contributing 27 runs each. Kuwait, in reply, were bowled out for 92 despite facing an easy target.