'A few little mistakes at the wrong time' cost UAE second ODI against Zimbabwe, says Dougie Brown

Manager says tourists scored 15 runs less than they should have after four-run defeat in Harare

iZimPhoto/Photo JEKESAI NJIKIZANA
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Dougie Brown, the UAE coach, rued what he felt was a missed opportunity after the national team lost a rain-affected second one-day international to Zimbabwe by four runs in Harare.

Kyle Jarvis took four wickets and Regis Chakabva made an unbeaten 78 to guide the home side to a win that gives them a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

Two hours were lost to rain during the UAE innings, meaning the game was reduced to 35 overs per side.

The fact the tourists managed 169-9 from their overs, which was subsequently revised up to 209 via the Duckworth Lewis Stern method, was a vast improvement on their opening day effort two days earlier.

iZimPhoto/Photo JEKESAI NJIKIZANA
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ghulam Shabber scored 56 for the UAE in the second ODI in Harare on Friday. Courtesy Zimbabwe Cricket

They had crashed to a hefty seven-wicket defeat after managing just 110 in the first ODI. In that game, they had been 19-3 at the start of their innings.

Having again been sent into bat in the second game, they again fell to 21-3, but a fine stand between Shaiman Anwar (72) and Ghulam Shabber (56) meant they were far more competitive.

They had looked well placed to force a win when they had Zimbabwe 92-4 in the 20th over of the reply.

However, stand-in captain Peter Moor shared an unbroken stand worth 93 to take the hosts to the win.

“Despite everything that went against with the weather and a couple of decisions, we should still have got across the line,” Brown said.

“We made a few little mistakes at the wrong time. We probably left 15 runs out there in the field, and to score only 31 off the last five overs, and to lose six wickets, was really disappointing.

“We pride ourselves on finishing an innings, but we didn’t manage to do that. That cost us 10 or 15 runs, which, over the course of a shortened game, is a huge margin.”