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.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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.”
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
