Thursday cover: UAE so close, yet so far to first win at Cricket World Cup

The National's Sport cover for the Thursday, February 26 issue, featuring Ireland as they narrowly beat the UAE at the 2015 Cricket World Cup on Wednesday.

The UAE put up a solid total 278 in the first innings and looked in good position to win, having Ireland at 97 for 4 early when Niall O’Brien was out lbw from a Mohammad Tauqir delivery in the 26th over.

But Andy Balbirnie and Gary Wilson (80) put on a 74-run fifth-wicket partnership and Wilson continued with Kevin O’Brien for a 74-run sixth-wicket partnership to bring Ireland back.

The UAE continued to fight, though, taking John Mooney’s wicket, the seventh, in the 47th over and Wilson’s, the eighth, in the 48th over.

Ireland scratched out the final runs however and won with just four balls remaining.

Covering the match from Brisbane, Paul Radley writes:

“Defeat was heartbreaking for the UAE. As gate-crashers go, they are the most gloriously welcome kind.

“The hosts of this party in New Zealand and Australia have made it pretty clear they have let them in under duress.

“Their invitation to the next one has already been more or less revoked, four years in advance.

“Yet despite being winless, they are the belle of the ball, Cinderellas in cricket spikes.

“The sport’s governing body said sides like the UAE would not do things like this, so shut the door on them.

“The UAE’s players are making a nonsense of that theory, none more so than Shaiman Anwar, who followed up his half-century in the opening loss to Zimbabwe with a ton.”

Radley also reports on Amjad Javed's call for the UAE team to rally around their strong performance against the Irish and aim for a shock of India in their next match.

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE