They did it with an over to spare. They had five wickets in hand. They even scored more boundaries. This time, there could be no quibbling over fine margins. New Zealand were emphatic winners.
In the lead up to the game, New Zealand were at pains to say they do not discuss 2019, Lord’s, and all that. If it does ever crop up in conversation, Kane Williamson, their captain, reckons they talk about it fondly.
Still, though. Their stunning win over England at Zayed Cricket Stadium in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup must have tasted all the sweeter given what happened two years previously.
Maybe it was not exactly an exorcism. But at least they can move on to Sunday’s final with a warm glow of satisfaction over beating England in a big match.
Take Jimmy Neesham. In the aftermath of the 2019 World Cup final, he implored people to take up baking instead of ever putting themselves through the unbearable anguish of sport, and losing a World Cup final in a Super Over.
Like everyone else, he might have had a crack at a banana bread or two in the ensuing time. But he, as much as any of New Zealand’s heroes in Abu Dhabi, proved the adage about cricket being the great leveler.
In chasing England’s target of 167, the Black Caps had required 109 from 10 overs. When Neesham made it to the wicket, at No 6, they needed 60 off 29 balls.
He hit three of the 11 balls he faced over the vast boundaries for six, and made 27 in his stay. It was seminal.
Daryl Mitchell, who had anchored the innings till that point, took up the responsibility for six hitting once Neesham had departed.
He ended unbeaten on 72, hitting a flurry of sixes, then the winning four off Chris Woakes. In the end, it felt like a cruise.
Given the difficulties of travel to and from New Zealand at present, few supporters have travelled to the UAE for this tournament.
There was a fair number of expatriate Kiwis in the stands backing their side, and they were complemented by a sizeable contingent of neutrals, too.
A Sri Lankan papare band played from before the first ball was bowled till after the last.
There were Indian fans in their seats before the start. They had clearly overestimated their side’s prospects.
There were some Pakistanis in situ, too. They had underestimated theirs: Pakistan will play Australia in Thursday night’s semi-final in Dubai after they topped their group, ahead of New Zealand.
England’s fine form in the Super 12 stage has lost its sheen via the injuries they had racked up ahead of the knockout phase.
Both unavailable players – Tymal Mills and Jason Roy – were present at the game. Rather than moping around feeling sorry they could not be part of it, they did a decent job as a cheer squad.
When Woakes induced a leading edge from Martin Guptill to Moeen Ali in the first innings of New Zealand’s reply, Roy was just about the most animated member of the England party. He bellowed, “Yes, Wiz,” in praise of “Wizard” Woakes.
The intense look on his face spoke of the fact the game was delicately poised. England had had to work hard for their runs - Moeen Ali top-scoring with 51, Dawid Malan making 41, and Liam Livingstone spritely 17 - and they knew defending would not be easy.
Their task, though, received a sizeable boost in the next over Woakes sent down. After three dots, Williamson, New Zealand’s talisman, gave way to the pressure and attempted a scoop over short fine leg.
It was neither becoming nor successful. It went as far as Adil Rashid, and, as Woakes completed a wicket-maiden, New Zealand were 13-2 after three overs.
At that point, it felt as though England had the game in their grasp. Devon Conway, though, started the fightback, with 46.
He laid the platform, but New Zealand had still appeared out of it until Neesham sent the innings into overdrive. And, after his cameo, Mitchell booked their tickets to Dubai.
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
MATCH INFO
England 2
Cahill (3'), Kane (39')
Nigeria 1
Iwobi (47')
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
