DUBAI // Dougie Brown was denied a win in his first international as UAE coach, due mainly to a player who was a colleague of his only recently.
Until last summer, Brown was director of cricket at the English county side Warwickshire, where Will Porterfield was one of his players.
Porterfield, the Ireland captain, hit a century to set up a comprehensive win in the first of two one-day internationals against the UAE at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Thursday.
Brown said his new charges did have plans in place to deal with his former one, but that Porterfield was good enough to cope.
“He is a top-class player at this level,” Brown, who was appointed UAE coach last month on a short-term deal, said.
“We had plans, and I thought for the main part we implemented them, but he played really well.
“Sometimes you have to accept the fact batsmen will have a good day. As a bowling side, you might do well as well, but not be able to assert your authority like you otherwise would do.”
Zahoor Khan was the star with the ball. The seamer’s six for 34 was the best return ever by a UAE bowler one-day internationals.
A stand worth 124 between Porterfield and Kevin O’Brien was the basis for Ireland’s 270, and the UAE did not get close, following a familiar middle-order collapse.
The two-match series has been added to the calendar to give both sides practice ahead of important challenges to follow.
Ireland go on to play Afghanistan in India, while the UAE have vital Intercontinental Cup and World Cricket League engagements against Papua New Guinea next month.
Brown has been appointed to prepare the side for that series, and Porterfield thinks the national team will benefit from his expertise.
“It is great for Dougie to be back involved, more international experience for him, and great for the UAE to have him on board,” Porterfield said.
Brown, who is the latest of three former England players to take interim charge of the UAE, wants to “make a difference” ahead of the PNG matches.
“For the past five weeks, since I have been here, we have been on a journey,” Brown said.
“This is the first chance we have had to go out and put our skills to the test, to see how far in the journey we have actually come.
“We know we have made a significant amount of progress, but we still have to prove it to ourselves and each other in game situations.
“The journey doesn’t stop after this game today, it stops in the middle of April when all the games are done. I want to make a difference. I want to get these guys winning games of cricket.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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