AL-AMARAT: The day dawned in cloudy fashion but with no rain. Only two matches were scheduled for day five, both on Turf One. The first was a crunch match between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Group A. Both teams were on two points, Saudi from two matches played and Qatar from three.

Victory for Qatar would move them into second place with a chance of reaching the semifinals. Victory for Saudi would most probably mean progression to the semifinals. There was much at stake.

Saudi chose to bowl first. Qatar got away to a quick start: 14 from the first over and 36 in four overs before the first wicket fell. The last ball of the ninth over brought a third wicket for 59, a situation with which Saudi would not have been unhappy.

They were less happy in the 11th over when they thought they had claimed a catch at long-on only for the delivery to be ruled a no-ball. Then, in the same over, an appeal for a run out was rejected.

After these two critical incidents, Mohammad Tanveer and Mohammad Jabir consolidated the innings until Tanveer was run out for 43 on 134 in the 17th over. In a desperate search for more runs, Qatar’s lower order swung the bat, wickets falling regularly until the innings closed on 153 for nine.

If this target looked achievable, it soon became a mountain to climb. Left-arm quick bowler Amir Farooq induced prolific opener Abdul Waheed to edge to the wicket keeper off the first ball of the innings.

Worse followed for Saudi in the second over when Faisal Khan was bowled by Gayan Munaweera. Saudi’s batsmen were at sea against two quick left-arm bowlers, the ball hitting the pads with regularity: A sign that the bowler is too quick for the batsman.

It was not a surprise when Usman Khalid was bowled by Munaweera in the fourth over, the score 16 for three. Munaweera was replaced for the sixth over by Jabir. If this seemed a surprise, the decision was justified when Jabir’s first ball had Manan Ali leg before wicket, sparking scenes of wild celebration.

At 18 for four, Saudi’s response was in tatters. The battle between bat and ball had been fascinating to watch. It did not relent and the normal fluency of Saudi’s captain, Hisham Shaikh, was disrupted.

In the seven overs after the last dismissal the Saudi batsmen scored only 43 runs as they sought to rebuild the innings. As soon as Shaikh sought to accelerate in the 14th over, he was out.

At 69 for five, the innings looked beyond repair. However, Kashif Abbas hit two sixes to give hope before aiming to hit one too many. Waji Ul Hassan continued the trend so well that 35 runs were required from the final two overs.

It was not to be, as Hassan perished in trying to clear the boundary once more. The remaining batsmen could not force the pace against Munaweera, the innings closing on 138 for eight, 15 runs short, much to the disappointment of the Saudi contingent.

It had been a brave rearguard effort, but the real damage had been done in losing the first four wickets so cheaply.

Qatar climbed into second place on four points, leaving Saudi, Malaysia and Hong Kong on two points each. Saudi does have a superior run rate, but to make use of this, the side must beat Nepal in their final game — a tall order.

Malaysia and Hong Kong will play each other, the winner will end on four points, with net run rate likely to be a determining factor in deciding who finishes second.

In Group B, Bahrain beat Cambodia by seven wickets to claim their first victory, leaving Cambodia without a point, a situation which may not change given they play the UAE on day six.

All eyes will be on the match between Kuwait and Oman, a match the former must win to progress. Kuwait sits in second place, ahead of the UAE by virtue of a superior net run rate. The UAE are favorites to progress to the semifinal.

AL-AMARAT: More rain arrived to influence the ACC Premier Cup competition on day four. A shower at about 8 a.m. caused a late start in the two morning matches, reduced to 18 overs per team.

In the Group A match between Nepal and Hong Kong, the latter was asked to bat. A steady start to 48 for two after seven overs became 82 for four from 13 overs. After that, wickets tumbled, the innings subsiding to 114 all out.

In reply, Nepal raced to 68 for no loss from five overs. The loss of two wickets in the sixth over did little to stop the charge, 117 being reached in the 13th over. Nepal’s victory cemented their place at the top of the group and a place in the semifinals.

The second Group A match of the day saw Malaysia face Qatar, who had yet to register a win. Malaysia were asked to bat, reaching 82 for two in 11 overs. Despite losing two quick wickets, the fifth-wicket partnership prospered so well that a total of 151 for five was achieved.

Qatar’s response was positive and, at the midway stage, half of the required target had been scored. Slow bowlers then stifled Qatar’s progress to 113 for four from 13 overs, with the result in the balance. In the next three overs the required acceleration was injected, so that only five runs were required in the final over, duly achieved with a straight six.

This result injected a new dynamic into Group A, in which four teams each have two points. At the end of day four, Saudi lead the way by virtue of a superior net run rate, with two matches left to play, against Qatar and Nepal. If Qatar are beaten, then Saudi are likely to qualify for the semifinals. If not, the door would be open for one of the other sides, each with one left to play. One unpredictable variable is the possible influence of rain on match completion.

The rain returned after the morning matches on day four. The distant hills to the south were not visible. Oman’s experienced curator, who has had eight years in Oman, revealed that he had never seen rain like this in April. Normally, rain comes from the west, but the current rain is arriving from the south and southeast. Fortunately, it cleared after an hour, and two Group B matches, reduced to 15 overs per side, commenced.

On Turf A, Oman asked the UAE to bat. Prolific batter Alishan Sharafu was out second ball, a second wicket falling in the second over. Muhammad Waseem was then partnered by Asif Khan in an 88-run stand. Khan continued in his attacking mode until a last-ball dismissal for 66 saw the UAE total 145 for five, Bilal Khan claiming three for 11.

Oman’s response was dismissive, Kashyap Prajapati and Naseem Khushi racing to 67 in 4.4 overs, before Khushi was dismissed. Khalid Kail continued the onslaught, scoring 50 from 23 deliveries, while Prajapati eased to 53 not out from 147 for the loss of a single wicket, with 14 deliveries to spare.

Two of the UAE’s ILT20 bowlers, Aayan Khan and Junaid Siddique, were heavily punished.

Oman’s comprehensive victory means that they top Group B, with six points from three games, to almost certainly secure a semifinal slot. The UAE have four points from three matches, with a final match against pointless Cambodia, whom they are heavy favorites to beat.

On Turf B, Kuwait were asked to bat by Bahrain and lost five wickets in reaching 79. No. 3 batter, M. Bhavsar, held firm with 54 before being the seventh wicket to fall. Late hitting by B. Tahir, 40 not out, took the total to 161 for seven.

In reply, Bahrain lost two early wickets for 24 and a third on 35, all to Yasin Patel who conceded only eight runs. Some middle-order hitting was not enough and the innings closed on 135 for six.

The result puts Kuwait on equal points (four) with the UAE. Kuwait have a superior net run rate, but have to play Oman in their final match. The outcome of Group B, as with Group A, will go to the wire.