NZ vs UAE, T20 World Cup: New Zealand openers make light work of chase against UAE
One of the areas where associate teams often fall short against established teams is in their inability to compete hard in all facets of the game for the entire duration of the match, and not just in short phases.
New Zealand taught UAE a tough lesson when it made short work of a 174-run target by romping home to a 10-wicket win at the MAC Stadium on Tuesday.
Openers Tim Seifert (89 n.o.) and Finn Allen (84 n.o.) thrashed a hapless bowling attack all over the park to finish off the chase in just 15.2 overs and help the Kiwis post their second win in Group D.
On a pitch that offered true bounce and carry, the UAE pacers were guilty of bowling too full, and the duo wielded their willows like an axe, depositing innocuous deliveries into the stands with disdain.
Seifert kept it simple, targeting the straight boundaries, and smashed left-arm pacer Muhammad Rohid for 19 runs in the sixth over to bring up his half-century off just 23 balls. At the other end, Allen, not to be left behind, also hit cleanly through the line and reached his landmark off just 27 balls.
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The 75-minute carnage from the openers took all the fizz out of an otherwise decent batting performance from the Middle Eastern country.
Opting to bat, skipper Muhammad Waseem led from the front with an unbeaten half-century (66 n.o.) and carried his bat through to guide his team to 173 for six.
Waseem found great support in Alishan Sharafu (55) as they stitched a 107-run stand for the second wicket. Waseem’s men maximised the PowerPlay, consolidated in the middle and closed it out in style, scoring 96 runs in the last 10 overs. However, it was only half the job done, and the UAE bowlers found that out the hard way when they ran into the Kiwi firestorm.
Published on Feb 10, 2026
