The UAE’s ambitions of causing an impression at next year’s World Cup received a reality check after they were comprehensively beaten by South Australia on Tuesday.
The victorious side have a wealth of international experience to call on, and it showed markedly as they won by 103 runs in Darwin.
No match on the national team's preparatory tour of Australia has displayed the gulf between cricket's haves and have-nots quite as graphically as this one.
South Australia were led by Johan Botha, the one-time Twenty20 captain of South Africa, and had Matt Cosgrove, the former Australia batsman, at the top of their batting order.
Once they made 271 for eight from their 50 overs, they called on Kane Richardson, who was bought for US$700,000 (Dh2.6m) by Pune Warriors in last year’s Indian Premier League, to bowl.
Richardson, who played for the Rajasthan Royals when the IPL was exiled to the UAE earlier this year, took three wickets as the UAE were shot out for 168 in reply.
The contrast to the UAE's team of cabin crew, sales reps and bank clerks was vast.
The national team’s top run-scorer against South Australia, Andri Berenger, is plotting a path to the World Cup squad whilst studying for a masters in business management.
The opener, 23, grew up in Colombo and might have had a career earmarked in Sri Lanka’s colours, given that he represented them internationally at the age-group level.
If he does make the UAE squad for next year’s showpiece, it will represent an intriguing international double.
Despite being a relatively late starter in the sport, he played for Sri Lanka in the Under 19 World Cup in 2010 in New Zealand, where the team finished fourth.
He subsequently left Sri Lanka to study and considered moving to Australia before settling in the UAE at his father’s suggestion.
“I started playing cricket when I was around 14,” said Berenger, who top-scored with 34 for the national team yesterday.
“My brother had passed away, which meant I was home alone a lot, so I decide to try out cricket.
“I’m still learning with the [UAE national team] guys. I’m learning a lot from the coaches and team, new things are always coming up. I’m enjoying it.”
Berenger and Mohammed Shahzad shared the only notable stand for the UAE, when they put on 62 for the second wicket against South Australia.
Shahzad had earlier been the pick of the bowlers, too, after he took two for 54 in his 10 overs.
pradley@thenational.ae
Additional reporting by Michael Traill
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