In the group-B match played at TU Cricket Ground, Afghanistan elected to bat and put up 143/8 in 20 overs. Afghanistan was at 17/5 in 6.1 overs but Mohammad Nabi (72 runs off 46 balls) and Shafiqullah (51 runs off 33 balls) put up a 107-run partnership for the sixth wicket to guide the team to a competitive total. Man-of-the-match Amjad Javed took three wickets while Shadeep Silva and Rohan Mustafa claimed two wickets each.[break]
Chasing the total, the UAE reached 146/4 in 19.2 overs as Swapnil Patil scored 34 runs and Abdul Shakoor added 30 runs. Mustafa contributed 28 runs while Bakhtiyar Hamid added 19 runs.
With the win, the UAE remaining undefeated has six points from three matches. Afghanistan has four points from three matches and a superior net run rate than the third placed Kuwait, which also has four points from three matches. Kuwait will take on Afghanistan on Sunday to decide another semifinalist from the group. The UAE will take on Bahrain on Sunday.
Likewise, Hong Kong defeated Singapore by 39 runs in a group-A match at the Pulchwok Engineering Ground. With the win, Hong Kong became the winner of group A. Hong Kong elected to bat and put up 198/3 in 20 overs. Irfan Ahmed (63 runs off 33 balls) and Waqas Barkat (unbeaten 69 runs off 51 balls) put up 99-run opening stand and Nizakat Khan added unbeaten 41 runs off 26 balls to put up mammoth total.
In reply, Singapore reached only 159/8 in 20 overs. Chaminda Ruwan Kumarage scored 57 runs off 44 balls and Arjun Mutreja contributed struck 23 runs off 16 balls but could not resist Hong Kong from winning the match.
In a group-B contest between already crashed out teams, Oman and Bahrain, Oman sealed a six-wicket victory. At the Pulchowk Ground, Bahrain elected to bat and was all out for 93 runs in 17.4 overs. In reply, Oman reached 96/4 in 14.4 overs.
'We can use the UAE as a special support for the economy of Nep...