Mosaddek shines as Bangladesh sweep UAE in T20 series

Mosaddek Hossain played a key role with both bat and ball as Bangladesh beat United Arab Emirates by 32 runs in Dubai on Tuesday to sweep the two-match T20 series.   

Bangladesh made 169-5 after opener Mehidy Hasan’s 46 off 37 balls provided a solid platform before Mosaddek (27) and Liton Das (25) kept the runs flowing.   

Yasir Ali and Nurul Hasan gave the innings some late impetus in an unbroken stand of 32 over the final three overs.   

Sixteen-year-old Aayan Afzal Khan, a left-arm spinner, took 2-33 with Aryan Lakra sending down three tidy overs to return figures of 1-14.   

UAE slumped to 29-4 in response after losing three wickets for just two runs, with Mosaddek removing Aryan Lakra and Vriitya Aravind with successive deliveries.   
Captain Chundangapoyil Rizwan and Basil Hameed battled gamely in a partnership of 90 but the required run rate was too much for UAE.   

Hameed fell for 42 in the penultimate over while Rizwan finished unbeaten on 51 from 36 balls, recording his first international T20 half-century as UAE ended on 137-5.   
UAE face the Netherlands, Sri Lanka and Namibia in the first round of next month’s T20 World Cup in Australia.   

Bangladesh will enter the competition in the Super 12 stage. They play India, Pakistan, South Africa and two qualifiers from the opening round.(AFP)