CHENNAI: Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem laid a solid platform for the UAE with a 107-run stand off 77 balls before New Zealand put the brakes on the scoring to limit the opposition to 173 for six in the T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.
However, the UAE still managed to post their highest total in tournament history due to the gutsy efforts of Waseem (66 not out off 45) and Sharafu (55 off 4) at the top of the order.
Waseem and and Sharafu were able to get boundaries regularly in the powerplay despite Aryansh Sharma (8) falling to Jacob Duffy off a short ball in the second over.
Waseem was more aggressive than Sharafu in their partnership, employing a ramp off Duffy for a six before coming down the track to Rachin Ravindra for a straight six.
Sharafu at the other end got to his fifty with a slog off a slower ball from Matt Henry towards the cow corner.
It took a special fielding effort from Mark Chapman at the deep midwicket boundary to break the partnership.
Chapman parried the ball back to Dary Mitchell to complete a fine relay catch.
The boundaries dried up post the dismissal of Sharafu in the 15th over.
However, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santer decided to give the 18th over to Glenn Phillps who ended up leaking 27 runs in the over with Waseem and Mayank Kumar picking up a six each.
UAE managed 51 runs in the last five overs at the loss of four wickets including two in the final over.