UAE's Bilal passela strikes with a vengeance

Bilal Passela wrapped up the UAE’s campaign on a high after picking up seven wickets from 11 deliveries, including a hat trick. The wily off-spinner ran through the Maldives inning to finish with amazing figures of 5-2-4-7 to cinch a nine-wicket win for the UAE in the last match of their Under 16 ACC Challenge Cup at the Prem Oval in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Thursday. The result increases the UAE’s chances of finishing in the top two in the six-team league, depending on the outcome of Saturday final game between the unbeaten Afghanistan and Qatar. “It was my only chance to deliver for the team after two disappointing performances,” said Passela, the X1th Sri Lankan grade student from the Cambridge High School. “I was dropped for the previous game and was determined to contribute to the team when given this opportunity. And with Maldives batting first and me slated to bat in the middle, the only chance I had was to pick up a few wickets when given the ball. “And pitching the ball on the right spots and with a bit of luck, I managed to finish the tournament on a better note, personally. However, more important was to win convincingly so we have a better chance to finish in the top two.” The Maldives electing to bat first were 48 for two in 18.2 overs when Passela struck, taking three wickets in his third over and the remaining four, including a hat trick, in his next to trigger a sensational collapse. Simon Charles, the leg spinner and Passela’s team mate at the Zayed Cricket Academy in Abu Dhabi, took the other as the Maldives lost eight wickets for one run in three overs. The UAE knocked off the winning runs in 5.5 overs after a blazing start given by Abdulla Saif Al Baloushi, the Emirati who smashed the very first ball to the mid wicket fence, and Shiv Mehra. Al Baloushi, who struck three fours in his 18-ball stay for 19, fell at 48, and Kartik Shekar, hoisted the first ball he faced to the long on fence for six to complete the win. Mehra was 22 not out off 16 deliveries. Maldives 49 all out in 21 overs (Ismail Nasir 12, Bilal Passela 7-4, Waruna Perera 1-7, Bikramjeet Singh 1-9, Simon Charles 1-9) lost to the UAE 54 for 1 in 5.5 overs (Shiv Mehra 22 not out, Abdulla Saif Al Baloushi 19).