ABU DHABI // A moment of madness ruined Fayyaz Ahmed's good work and cost Ibsons the Al Hamad trophy.
The UAE international had produced a gem-of-a-knock 86 to revive his team's run chase of 260 against Danube Lions, on Friday night, but lost his wicket to a rash shot when five runs were required from seven deliveries left of their innings.
Fayyaz hit medium pacer Zahoor Khan straight down Adnan Mufti's throat at mid-off, which brought the last pair in.
Panic then set in when Zohaib Akhtar, who chipped in with a useful 23 not out, ran out his partner Kamal Hussain next ball.
Akhtar pulled Rohan Mustafa's first delivery to the deep mid-wicket but did not respond to a call from Hussain for a second run. Instead they ended up at the same end.
Danube went on to claim the Al Hamad trophy, the capital's premier 50-over tournament, by three runs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in a day-night game that ended around midnight.
It was a first trophy for the team since it was established eight months ago.
"We have been waiting for this moment ever since the team was founded and I hope this trophy will lead us to many more in the coming months," said Rohan Mustafa, the captain and a UAE bowler.
"We had reached two semi-finals and the other day lost a final [in the Mulk Holding Twenty20 Cup]. We are in two more semi-finals in Dubai and hopefully we can carry this momentum forward."
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