ABU DHABI // Khalid Butt took his place in an unlikely but elite club of players in the anals of history when he smashed his way to a 53-ball unbeaten 142 in the Asian Cricket Council's Twenty20 Cup against Bahrain at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Interestingly, the authorities themselves were searching for answers when confirmation was sought about the exact official status of the List A game in the international tournament that will see three teams qualify to play alongside the four sub-continental Test nations at the Asian Games in China next year. Most of the teams have expatriates playing.
Regardless of the opposition and stature of the tournament, Butt's feat, comprising 10 sixes and 18 boundaries, was impressive and could have even scored the highest total in the shortest format of the game, had Kuwait not been chasing.
Kuwait achieved the daunting target of 175 with the loss of one wicket only thanks to the blitzkrieg from Butt, whose score is only next to 158 not out by Brendon McCullum - playing for Kolkata Knight Riders against Bangalore in the IPL - and the 152 from Essex's Graham Napier against Sussex in the English County Cup.
The UAE posted the highest total of the ACC Twenty20 trophy so far as they demolished China yesterday and booked a place in the semi-finals.
The Emirates scored 236 for five with the captain Khurram Khan blasting 64 from 30 deliveries. China's mustered just 27 in reply - with 15 of them extras.
Ahmed Raza was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets in his two overs, while the Emirati Fahad al Hashimi claimed two for eight in three overs.
"We were not up against the strongest team but I am very pleased with the convincing win and a very disciplined performance," said the UAE coach Colin Wells.
"I can't ask for more after winning by more than 200 runs. We grassed a couple of catches and gave away 15 extras in a total of 27."
It was the UAE's fourth win in succession and they play Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi tomorrow to decide who finishes top of Group A, with both sides already through to the last four.
"Batting first provided some of the top-order batsmen to have a good look at the pitch ahead of the Afghanistan game," said Khurram, who shared a 99-run stand for the fifth wicket with Fayyaz Ahmed (46 not out in 17 balls).
"It was important for the guys to play a few overs on this wicket and the bowlers to have a go, trying to get a few yorkers at the batsmen. It was indeed a good workout for us looking ahead for the match with Afghanistan."
Meanwhile, Afghanistan beat Saudi Arabia by nine wickets in Sharjah yesterday.
Mohammed Nabi took four for seven in less than three overs as the Saudis were all out for 67.
The Afghans then knocked off the winning runs in eight overs for the loss of one wicket.
Oman and Kuwait will meet in Sharjah tomorrow to decide who finishes top of Group B
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CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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The specs
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Power: 181hp
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Transmission: 6-speed automatic
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Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
