Papua New Guinea (PNG) stunned United Arab Emirates registering their largest ODI win by 131 runs at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 28. PNG all-rounder Chad Soper turned out to be the architect of the massive win as he took five wickets for just 25 runs.
UAE skipper Chundangapoyil Rizwan won the toss and opted to field first. Openers Tony Ura and Kiplin Doriga got PNG got off to a good start with 81-run partnership. Ura scored 51 runs from 43 deliveries including eight fours and one six. After Zahoor Khan, got the breakthrough, Rohan Mustafa dismissed Dorgia who scored 42 runs from 69 deliveries.
Sese Bau held on to one end. Skipper Assad Vala (23) played himself in but lost his wicket to leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan. PNG were in good position as they were scoring at almost six runs per over till the 40th over. Gaudi Toka (28) could not go on after a good start as he got stumped out off Aryan Lakra's bowling. Off the next delivery, Lakra beat Norman Vanua’s bat and bowled him for a golden duck.
The scoring rate took a hit after PNG lost half their side. Meiyappan then got the wicket of set batter Bau. The top-order batter scored 74 runs from 76 deliveries including five fours and one six. PNG lost five wickets for just 11 runs as they got all out for 262 with five balls left in the innings. Lakra got the wicket of Soper (14) whereas Meiyappan struck twice followed by Zahoor getting the last wicket.
The run chase did not get off to a good start despite opener Muhammad Waseem hitting four boundaries during fielding restrictions. Lakra struggled and was the first to fall after scoring just five runs from 15 balls. Soper got the big wicket of in-form batter Waseem (24) to push UAE on the back foot. Skipper Rizwan struggled to rotate the strike as well and got bowled by Soper after scoring just one run. Mustafa got out for a single-digit score as well. UAE found themselves struggling for 48/4 in the 10th over.
Wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind and Asif Khan tried to rebuild the innings. The partnership was broken in the 19th over as Aravind (23) got run out. Few overs later, skipper Vala removed Asif Khan (20). Soper returned into the attack and got two more wickets of Alishan Sharafu (14) and Meiyappan (8) to complete his fifer. Zahoor tried to delay the inevitable with his 23-run knock but UAE got all out for 131 in the 35th over. They lost the game by 131 runs, their worst defeat against PNG.
