Qatar beat Bahrain in vital T20 World Cup qualifier match

DOHA: Qatar managed to beat Bahrain by 13 runs on Monday, winning their fourth straight match in the 2024 T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B, putting them one step closer to the T20 World Cup Asia–East Asia-Pacific Regional Final.

Qatar set a target of 185, only losing two wickets in the process. Imal Liyanage scored 78 runs off 49 deliveries, hitting seven fours and three sixes before he was run out. Mohammad Ahnaff made a half century as well, scoring 60 runs in fifty deliveries, hitting six fours and one six. Saqlain Arshad also contributed 10 runs before he was bowled by Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt. Muhammad Tanveer ended Qatar’s innings with a rapid contribution of 30 runs off only seven deliveries, hitting one four and four sixes.

Qatar kept up the pressure on the bowling side as well. Amir Farooq dominated, taking five wickets in the four overs he bowled, while only conceding 32 runs. He took two wickets in the second over of the match, dismissing Imran Ali and Imran Anwar for only one and four runs respectively. He would take another in the sixth over, dismissing Asif Ali who hit the ball towards Muhammad Tanveer, who took the catch.

Farooq’s last two wickets came back to back in the 14th over. First, Fiaz Ahmed woiuld be dismissed after the Bahrain batter hit the ball straight back to Farooq. Ahmer Bin Nasir would replace Ahmed, and would be dismissed for a duck on the very first ball he faced. Nasir hit the ball in the direction of Mohammed Rizlan who made the catch.

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Muhammad Jabir would also take two wickets for Qatar, the first of which came in the third over. His delivery got the edge of Sohail Ahmed’s bat on its way to the wicket-keeper, Liyanage. Jabir would take another wicket in the last over of the match, dismissing Ali Dawood on a ball that was hit to, and caught by, Mirza Mohammed Baig.

Bahrain skipper Haider Ali was dismissed on a delivery by Ikramullah Khan, after being caught out Mohammad Ahnaff. Ali put on the best batting performance for Bahrain, scoring 68 runs off 48 deliveries, hitting four fours and four sixes.

CURRENT STANDINGS

Qatar are currently in second place in the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B with eight points from there four wins. As the top two teams in the table move on to the T20 World Cup Asia–East Asia-Pacific Regional Final, Qatar needed to win Monday’s game to keep Bahrain, who are in third place with four points, from taking second.

Only two games remain for both Qatar and Bahrain. In order for Bahrain to take the second spot, they would need to win their next two games, while Qatar lost theirs, and have a better net run rate. The Untied Arab Emirates are currently in first place having won all four of their matches and having the best net run rate in the group.

The UAE play Qatar on Tuesday in a match that will decide who takes first place.

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