Afghans account for Scots, hosts UAE progress to Super Four

Afghanistan's fairytale rise in cricket's world order at one day level carried on on Wednesday as they recorded their second successive victory in the World Twenty20 qualifiers with a 14 run victory over Scotland.

As a result the Afghan team, mainly made up from Afghans brought up in refugee camps over the Pakistan border, top Group A heading into Thursday's final group matches.

Opener Noor Ali scored 42 off 37 balls and Mohammad Shahzad scored 30 as Afghanistan collected 34 runs off the last 24 balls to finish at 131-7. In turn, Scotland recovered from 8-2 to 74-2 before it lost seven wickets for 43 runs in just six overs to finish at 117-9.

Joint-holders

However, Ireland, joint-holders from the 2008 edition and pre-tournament favourites to be one of the two teams to progress to the World finals in the West Indies which run from April 30-May 16, are breathing down their shoulders as they rebounded from defeat by Afghanistan on Tuesday to trounce the United States by 78 runs.

Ireland looked unbeatable after posting 202-4 having elected to bat first. Star of their innings was Niall O'Brien, who hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 50-ball 84, while inspirational captain William Porterfield - whose dismissal on Tuesday signalled the end of the Irish run chase against the Afghans - belted five fours and a six in a 28-ball 45.

Three wickets

Ireland's fast bowler Peter Connell then took three wickets in six balls as the USA slipped to 11-5 and then 25-6 before finishing at 124-6, thanks mainly to Aditya Thyagarajan's 72 not out on his debut.

Connell finished with figures of 4-0-14-4 but couldn't deny O'Brien from winning a well-deserved man-of-the-match award.

The United Arab Emirates, who were only invited to participate because they were hosts, became the first team into the Super Four as they defeated defending joint-champion the Netherlands by six wickets. An unbroken 101-run fifth wicket partnership between Naeemuddin Aslam and captain Khurram Khan steered the UAE to victory after the home side was in dire straits at 67-4 off 7.3 overs while chasing 165 for victory.

Unbeaten

Naeemuddin scored an unbeaten 60 off 49 balls with two fours and two sixes while Khurram remained not out on 52 that came off 35 balls and included five fours. Daan van Bunge gave the Dutch some hope of building a big target to set the UAE with a swashbuckling 76 as they closed on 164-8.

UAE's fast bowler Qasim Zubai was in sparkling form as he returned figures of 5-24.

UAE's first victims Kenya bounced back to outclass Canada beating them by nine wickets which means that the Canadians cannot progress.

Notable

Their match was most notable for the innings of Alex Obanda, who scored 79 with his half century coming off only 23 balls. He joined such illustrious company as Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, Chris Gayle of the West Indies and New Zealand's Aaron Redmond who share the record of the quickest T20 International half-century from 23 balls. DUBAI, Thursday (AFP)