Ashfaq Ahmed, Rohan Mustafa shine as UAE wrap up series against Netherlands

Rohan Mustafa and Mohammad Naveed bump chests to celebrate a wicket

Netherlands v UAE, 3rd T20I, The Hague August 06, 2019

UAE 152 for 8 (Ashfaq 56, Braat 3-26) beat Netherlands 138 for 9 (O'Dowd 65, Mustafa 3-30) by 14 runs

Opener Ashfaq Ahmed's half-century and offspinner Rohan Mustafa's three-wicket haul ensured UAE sealed the four-match T20I series against hosts Netherlands at the Hague with one game left to play.

Netherlands opener Max O'Dowd made the highest score of the game - 65 off 54 balls - but his innings went in vain as his side slumped to their third successive defeat, this one by 14 runs.

After being asked to bat, UAE started strongly with Ashfaq leading the way. He hit 56 off 41 balls - his second fifty in three innings - including five fours and two sixes. He was aided by a series of contributions from the middle-order batsmen. Medium-pacer Sebastiaan Braat and left-arm spinner Pieter Seelaar did slo down the innings by returning combined figures of 8-0-47-5, but Mohammad Boota hit two sixes towards the end of the innings to help his side pass 150.

Netherlands then wobbled around O'Dowd in their chase. They were reduced to 53 for 4 in the tenth over, but O'Dowd took the chase deep. He was the eighth Netherlands batsman to be dismissed, in the penultimate over. The hosts needed 25 off nine balls with two wickets in hand after O'Dowd was run out, and they ended up short. Mustafa took 3 for 30 while Qadeer Ahmed picked up 2 for 18.

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