CRICKET – BAHRAIN clinched a 2-1 series win over Malaysia, taking the third and final Twenty20 International in Klang earlier this week by seven wickets.
Malaysia, ranked 25th in the ICC T20I rankings, scored 131 for seven, but Bahrain chased down the target with 135 for three at Bayuemas Oval.
Opening batsmen Aslam Khan Malik and Haziq Aiman Hafiz were dismissed after three overs with just 10 runs on the board. But Virandeep Singh steadied the innings when he scored three boundaries in a row in the next over on his way to a brisk 31 runs off 16 balls.
Syahadat Ramli (27) and captain Syed Aziz Syed Mubarak (26) added 44 runs in a fifth-wicket partnership. Bahrain bowler Imran Khan (4-34) took the first three wickets while Asif Ali grabbed two for 16.
Yazeer Naseer (46) and Prashant Kurup (43) put on an 85-run partnership to open for world number 29 Bahrain, while Ahmer Nasir brought the innings home with an unbeaten 36 featuring six fours.
Rain briefly interrupted play, reducing the match to 19 overs a side.
“The wicket was fine and we tried to build momentum but then the rain came and changed the wicket,” said Syed Aziz. “The score was not justifiable and we as a batting unit have to see what went wrong.
“The bowlers are doing well but we as a batting unit need to buckle up.”
Malaysia won the first match by 34 runs but Bahrain forced a decider by winning the second match by two runs.
Attention now shifts to a series of one-day matches.
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