A former shipyard worker on the verge of his 40s proved to be a thorn in Australia’s side before D’Arcy Short steered the tourists to a seven-wicket T20 win over the UAE in Abu Dhabi.
Set 118 to win their maiden clash with the cricketing minnows, Australia cruised to their target with 23 balls to spare off the back of Short’s unbeaten 68.
Australia’s bowlers earlier endured 20 overs in the blazing 37C heat as 39-year-old Shaiman Anwar at least kept the UAE in the fight in an officially sanctioned match which served as a warm-up for Australia’s series against Pakistan.
Shaiman, who balanced working for a shipping firm while on an amateur retainer before the UAE introduced central contracts in 2016, top scored with 41 as the UAE finished on 6-117.
The UAE’s all-time leading runscorer in ODIs and T20s blazed two sixes and three fours before being bowled by Andrew Tye while attempting to ramp a full-pitched delivery over the wicketkeeper’s head.
Ranked No.13 in the world in T20s, the Arab nation was reduced to 2-0 after two overs as Nathan Coulter-Nile and Billy Stanlake opened with wicket maidens.
Boundaries are taken for granted in T20 matches but the UAE didn’t manage to score one until the fifth over when Chirag Suri crunched Tye through the covers for four.
But any hopes the Australians had of making a quick escape from the heat were dashed as Shaiman and Rameez Shazad (22) formed a confident partnership.
Stanlake and Coulter-Nile snared two wickets apiece for Australia.
Skipper Aaron Finch (one) fell just nine balls into Australia’s innings while Chris Lynn (20) and Glenn Maxwell (18) were unable to build on starts.
But Short guided the tourists to victory alongside debutant Ben McDermott (10 not out) in the mid-afternoon heat at a sparsely-attended side oval at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Mitch Marsh, Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle were left out from Australia’s XI ahead of their opening T20 against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Mitchell Starc was also omitted and is likely to miss the Pakistan games as he nurses a tight hamstring.
It was Australia’s first official meeting in any format with the UAE.
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