New Delhi: Junaid Siddique’s five-wicket haul was complemented by Aryansh Sharma’s half-century as the United Arab Emirates defeated Canada by five wickets in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match here on Friday.
Senior pacer Siddique headlined a disciplined bowling effort, returning with figures of 5/35 to help UAE restrict Canada to a below-par 150 for 7.
Aryansh then struck an unbeaten 74 off 53 balls laced with six fours and three sixes, while Sohaib Khan also played a very useful knock of 51 off just 29 balls to guide UAE over the line with two balls to spare.
Chasing the modest total, UAE struggled to build momentum and lost wickets at regular intervals even as Aryansh held firm at one end.
Left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar (3/14) dented the chase with three key strikes.
UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem was the first to depart, falling to pacer Kaleem Sana. Zafar then dismantled the middle order, first dismissing Alishan Sharafu, who mistimed a cover drive to Nicholas Kirton at extra cover, before removing Mayank Kumar and Harshit Kaushik with catches at long-on and midwicket respectively.
At the halfway mark, UAE needed 92 off 60 balls.
But just when the chase appeared to be slipping away, Aryansh found support in Sohaib, who smashed four sixes and as many fours.
The pair stitched together a crucial 83-run stand for the fifth wicket, bringing the equation down to 26 off 12 balls.
Aryansh showed nerves of steel, smashing back-to-back boundaries before adding a third off a free hit in the penultimate over.
Needing 8 off the last over, he hit a a towering six to ease off the pressure. While Canada added to the drama by taking a wicket, it was a little too late with new man Muhammad Arfan finding the rope for a memorable win.
Earlier, opting to bat, Canada were jolted early as Siddique and Muhammad Jawadullah ripped through the top order inside the first four overs. Siddique set the tone with a superb opening spell, claiming two wickets upfront before adding three more at the death.
He began by pitching one up around off to lure skipper Dilprit Bajwa into an aerial stroke, only for the opener to mistime it and offer a simple catch. Siddique then shifted to a probing fifth-stump line, angling the ball away as Yuvraj Samra attempted a pull, gifting a regulation catch at mid-on.
Jawadullah joined the party, striking with his first delivery to remove the dangerous Kirton, who edged behind, leaving Canada reeling with their top three back in the dugout inside six overs.
Harsh Thaker steadied the innings with a 41-ball-50, briefly reviving Canada’s hopes with a four and a six. He forged two vital partnerships — a 58-run stand with Navneet Dhaliwal (34) and a 33-run association with Shreyas Movva (21).
However, Siddique returned in the 18th over to remove Thaker just as he looked to accelerate. In his next over, he dismissed Movva with a slower bouncer and then accounted for Zafar, halting Canada’s late surge.
