UAE win third sucessive match

UAE won their third successive match of the tournament, despite Malaysia legspinner Dinesh Sockalingam taking 6 for 39, including a hat-trick, at the Selangor Turf Club in Kuala Lumpur. UAE's top order produced a strong batting display, led by opener Arshad Ali's 67, and took their side to 211 with the last six batsmen contributing only 22 to the total. Sockalingam took four wickets in an over - including three in three balls - but by then UAE had posted a total that Malaysia would struggle to reach. They lost four wickets inside the first ten overs with only 40 on the board. M Krishnamurthi provided some late-order fightback with an unbeaten 40 but in the end Malaysia fell 57 runs short.

Half-centuries by Nowroz Mangal and Noor Ali took Afghanistan to an easy six-wicket win over Saudi Arabia at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur. Offspinner Mohammad Nabi's 5 for 30 restricted Saudi Arabia to 172, which Afghanistan chased in only 25.3 overs. Saudi Arabia kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but could have reached 200 as middle-order batsman Abid Naseem hung around to make useful partnerships with the tail. However Nabi bowled him for 67 in the 45th over and Saudi Arabia couldn't push for quick runs in the final overs after Naseem's fall. Afghanistan scored twice as quickly as Saudi Arabia and Mangal added 47 with Shaifqullah at more than seven an over and 50 with Ali at more than five an over. Ali was the top scorer with an unbeaten 49-ball 70 that included 10 fours.

Qatar came back strongly after their 176-run defeat against Hong Kong on Monday to beat Kuwait by 24 runs at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur. In stark contrast to their poor batting yesterday, when they were bowled out for 100 in 19 overs, Qatar today posted 322. Openers Omer Taj and Muhammad Asram provided a 141-run start which then the middle order built on. Sibtain Raza was Kuwait's most successful bowler with 5 for 55. Kuwait went after the target with much enthusiasm as their openers Nadeem Malik and Jagath Roshantha added 69 in 42 balls. Roshantha continued in the same vein after Nadeem's fall and added 83 more with Mustansar Hasan. But after Roshantha's dismissal, Kuwait slowed down as Sardar Badshah and Rusharat Ali took five wickets between them.