Published By: Aditya Maheshwari
Last Updated: August 21, 2023, 23:33 IST
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Basil Hameed (Twitter Image)
Hameed made an excellent sprint before throwing himself in a full-length dive to catch the ball
UAE spinner Basil Hameed displayed his acrobatic skills on the field and dismissed New Zealand’s Tim Seifert in the deciding game of the three-match T20I series. In the fifth over of the game, UAE’s Junaid Siddique delivered a short ball as the wicketkeeper-batter responded with a pull shot. The ball flew in the air but it seemed like a safe shot, but Hameed made an excellent sprint before throwing himself in a full-length dive to catch the ball. He ensured that the ball didn’t pop out of his hands as he fell to the ground. Seifert had to depart from the pitch, scoring only 13 runs in 11 balls as New Zealand struggled at a score of 35 runs for two wickets at the end of the fifth over.
The UAE faced New Zealand in the third T20I in Dubai on August 20. Winning the toss, the hosts decided to field first. It was Chad Bowes and Tim Seifert to lead New Zealand’s batting front. The team lost early wickets as both the opening batters were dismissed within the first five overs. The Kiwis were able to recover from the setback, thanks to incredible batting performances from Will Young and Mark Chapman. Both batters scored a half-century each, helping their side to a 166-run total. In the second innings, UAE’s Aayan Afzal Khan scored 42 runs in 36 balls. Basil Hameed also impressed with the bat scoring 24 runs, but it just wasn’t enough for a series win.
Earlier, New Zealand and the UAE had split the opening games 1-1 ahead of the deciding match in Dubai. The UAE pulled off a major upset in the second T20I by defeating the Kiwis to mark, arguably, the greatest win in their cricket history as they chased down 143 runs in less than 17 overs.
Tim Seifert had been the hero for New Zealand in their opening T20I against the UAE. The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter had scored 55 runs in only 34 balls at the Dubai International Stadium. His explosive innings helped the Kiwis to seal a 19-run victory to record an early lead in the three-match series. He couldn’t carry forward the momentum as he was dismissed at seven runs in six balls in the second game.
