KUALA LUMPUR: Saudi Arabia will face Malaysia in the final of the Malaysia Quadrangular in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, May 2, after beating the hosts by seven wickets.
Openers Faisal Khan and Abdul Waheed set up the victory in posting an opening stand of 100 in just nine overs.
Earlier in the week Saudi Arabia had repeated their victories over Thailand and Singapore in the second round of the tournament to set up a match against Malaysia that would decide first and second in the league table.
Saudi Arabia had recovered from 90 for four against Thailand thanks to a partnership of 80 in 5.2 overs from Waji Ul-Hassan and Manan Ali. Ul-Hassan then became the third Saudi Arabian to take five wickets in T20I cricket with five for nine as the Kingdom won by 39 runs.
Against Singapore, three wickets apiece for Ishtiaq Ahmed and Zain Ul-Abidin, restricted the opponents to 112 for seven. Although Khan suffered his second duck in two matches, Waheed made 42 from 28 deliveries, with Saudi Arabia winning by seven wickets inside 15 overs.
The Saudi team had won four matches out of five to stand on eight points, just one point behind Malaysia, who had a no-result against Singapore because of rain.
Hence, the winner of the second encounter between the two teams would determine the group winner. Malaysia had chased down Saudi Arabia’s score in their previous match, so the Saudis chose to bowl first.
Virandeep Singh had carried Malaysia to victory with four wickets and a brilliant unbeaten 93 in the previous match, so it was an important breakthrough when Ul-Hassan dismissed him, caught behind for 21 from 21 balls.
Syed Aziz reached his 50 from 38 balls on the way to 67 from 49 balls but Malaysia only made 160 for six, despite Sharvin Muniady hitting the last two balls of the innings for six.
Saudi Arabia’s opening partnership was likely to be key as Khan and Waheed had often provided an exciting launch pad for the innings.
Khan played out two dot balls and then was away with a six over mid-wicket, racing to 30 from 12 balls out of the 50-run partnership in 3.3 overs. He made 50 inside the first six overs, needing only 20 balls to reach the landmark, hitting six sixes and three fours.
Saudi Arabia’s score stood on 80 for no wicket after six overs. Then Singh was introduced in the attack and the field spread out, allowing singles to be easily taken as the openers changed gear. Khan did hit another six before 100 was posted in just nine overs.
He was dismissed for 66 from 32 balls and his partnership with Waheed was exactly 100 in 9.1 overs when he was caught by Singh, off the bowling of Pavandeep Singh. In the tournament he maintained a strike rate close to 200 and hit a total of 14 sixes.
Pavandeep claimed a second wicket, but the required rate was down to five runs an over. Waheed completed his 50 from 39 balls with five fours and had played a fine supporting role to the explosive Khan.
He was third out with 27 runs needed, captain Ul-Hassan guiding his side to victory with an unbeaten 22 from 18 balls, and Saudi Arabia winning by seven wickets with 2.1 overs to spare.
The two sides will meet again in the final on May 2, while Singapore will play Thailand in the third-place playoff.
