Irish Cricket Archives masthead
Ireland International Matches
Ireland lost to UAE by 59 runs
ICC Trophy, Nairobi, 23 February 1994
Scorecard
Derek Scott

Ireland's first quarter final match was -v- United Arab Emirates (UAE), newcomers to ICC. A redoubtable team who had won all their first round matches by dint of batting second. In these they had scored 668 runs and lost only 15 wickets. This match -v- Ireland was the only one of their nine matches in the Competition in which they batted first. Having beaten Ireland they went on to beat Canada by one wicket chasing 278 and then Bermuda, also by one wicket, chasing no less than 329. UAE then beat Holland (194) easily in the semi-final and Kenya (281) in the final. In all they scored 1949 runs for the loss of 49 wickets at an average runs per wicket of just under 40. UAE's team contained just one Arab, the Captain, 7 Pakistanis. 2 Indians and a Sri Lankan all of whom played first class cricket in the lands of their births and whose residential qualification to play for UAE was under considerable suspicion. They were coached by Madan Lal, the Indian ex Test cricketer.

The day was fine at Ruaraka and the pitch very good. Jackson was fit again but Nelson was ill. The latter was a big loss and was replaced by P McCrum. Cohen and Doak (newly arrived) were left out. Ireland sent UAE in. P McCrum gave away 14 runs in the first over and Harrison 5 in the second. There were no slips and some of these runs were snicks. The rate then quietened and C McCrum, with his 1st ball, induced a catch to mid-off from Poonawala in the 11th over. 35-1-24. Hussain came in and gave C McCrum a sharp catch and bowl chance low and left handed in the same over. It failed to stick.

Drinks were taken at 52 for 1 after 17 overs, a good recovery from 19 for 0 after 2 overs. The next three overs yielded 28! 100 was up in 24.4 overs but Harrison had bowled his 10 overs for 29 and had bowled the only Irish maiden overs of the innings, 4 in fact. The score was 136 in 30 overs and 154 at the 34 overs drinks interval, 102 having been scored since the 17 overs interva1. Hoey was doing his best to stem the tide and bowled his 10 over stint in mid innings for 44. Hoey it was who took the second wicket at 155 in the 35th over. Saeed, the UAE sheet anchor was caught at short mid-wicket for 58. As events transpired it would have been better to leave Saeed where he was! Hussain was now 67 and was joined by Ishaq. In the next over (36th) Moore dropped Ishaq at long on when he was 5 off C McCrum - a crucial miss. This pair added 78 in 40 minutes and 200 was up in 40.3 overs.

With 5 overs to go the score was 230. In the 46th over Moore had Ishaq caught at deep extra cover. 233 for 3 and Ishaq had scored 41 in 40 balls. Hussain was now 98 and was joined by Raza. The 47th over was bowled by P McCrum and gave up 14 runs. Moore bowled the 48th in which Raza (4) was dropped by Benson running along the mid-wicket boundary at 253. The ball went for 4 and the next one for 6! The over cost 18. P McCrum's next over (49th) cost 9. C McCrum had to bowl the last over. Hussain's parting shot was a 6 off the first ball. The second was a wide. The third was skied back to the bowler who held on. 283-4-122. Hussain faced 121 balls in 151 minutes and hit a 6 and 10 fours. His running between wickets was marvellous. Raza hit the remaining 4 balls for 12 runs to a final tally of 295 for 4. Raza ended with 36* off 16 balls and had put on 50 with Hussain in 23 balls. Apart from Harrison and Hoey the Irish bowling made sorry reading. P.McCrum 65 runs off 10 overs, C.McCrum 69 off 9, Moore 73 off 10 and Lewis one over for 13. Two sixes and 28 fours were struck and 10 wides were bowled. The last 4 overs yielded 60 runs.

Ireland's task was forlorn but there was a good rousing start. Three fours were struck in the first 3 overs by Benson and Rea, but, in the 4th over, Benson was run out by a direct hit when not sliding his bat. 20-1-16. Graham came in and had a good stand with Rea. The latter was dropped at gully when 4. By the 17 overs drinks interval they had 82 on the board, Rea 35, Graham 22. Next over brought another run out disaster. The batsmen found themselves at the same end on an attempted second run and Rea had to go for 36. With Lewis in 100 was up in 22.5 overs. In the 24th over (Razaf's 5th) Graham was stumped swinging with his head up. 102-3-28. Harrison (9) was caught at short extra cover at 119. The 34 overs drinks interval came at 149 for 4. Two overs later, Laiq's 1st, Lewis (32), trying to step up the pace, was out to a good running catch on the long-on boundary. 157-5.

Dunlop and C McCrum then produced another good stand of 60 in 10 overs. 200 had arrived in 43.2 overs. When the 46th over arrived, bowled by Laiq, the score was 211. In it C McCrum was bowled trying to nudge to 3rd man. In Laiq's next over (48th) Dunlop was bowled hitting out. His 44 was top score off 63 balls with 4 fours. Jackson was bowled in the penultimate over and Moore was bowled by Laiq on the last ball of the 50th over.

All 6 UAE bowlers had respectable figures. Laiq's 4 for 31 in 8 overs was the most productive. UAE's bowling was not outstanding but their fielding was. This could have been a surprise result if Ireland had held their catches.

M Hussain was given the Man-of-the-Match Award.