Malaysia failed to capitalize on a good foundation to be bowled out for 171 in 39.1 overs after Qatar surprisingly put it in to bat. But it bowled and fielded brilliantly to bundle the powerful Qatari batting lineup for 116 runs in 33 overs to set up title clash with Nepal.
Pavitheran Nadaesan took the vital wickets of Qatari vice-captain Taha Muhammed and captain Tamoor Sajjad in quick succession to jolt the Qatari run chase that had started promisingly adding 59 runs in 17.4 overs.
Bijay Rai
Openers Muhammed and Faizan Ahmed played safely in the knowledge that captain Sajjad was yet to come. But once Muhammed fell for 31 off 61 balls, the Qatari innings lost its way as Sajjad was cleaned by Nadaesan two runs later. And when Ahmed was castled by Muhammad Bakri Amin for 20, Qatar was reduced to 69/4 and looked out of contention.
Spinner Kamarul Anvar Azhar then helped himself to four wickets in four overs to clean up the lower order and earn himself the man-of-the-match honor.Malaysian coach Mohammad Haris Abu Bakir was surprised by the Qatari capitulation after such a good start. "I was worried because they paced their reply very well. I still don´t know where they lost the game," Bakir said.
The Malaysian coach who had assumed that his captain Keithan Goonasagaran had won the toss was surprised when asked if the Qatari decision to field first backfired. "I think they made a mistake. We would have batted first had we won the toss," he said after being told that Qatar had won the toss.
But Qatari coach Mohammad Amjad Baig defended his team´s decision to field. "The wickets didn´t change in the second innings and the target was very gettable. Our captain lost his wicket very cheaply and we lost even after getting a good start," Baig reasoned.
Earlier Malaysian vice-captain Zubair Asyraf Nurazmi and skipper Goonasagaran laid foundation for a good total adding 58 runs for the second wicket after being put in.Nurazmi, coming in to open, topscored with 44 off 82 that included four fours and his skipper made 29 off 50 after Mohammad Syahadat Ramli was dismissed for seven. But Malaysia lost its way thereafter and even Ahmad Zahid Adnan could not repeat his heroics against Bahrain.
Adnan got three reprieves but could only make 30 off 39 with four boundaries as Malaysia fell well short of its desired total. "We were looking at more than 200 runs," Malaysian coach Bakir said expressing dissatisfaction with the batting.
Faizan Ahmed, Sajjad, Faisal Rauf and Ali Ishtiaq claimed two wickets each for Qatar.
