3rd T20I: UAE's Junaid Siddique stars with 3/26 against NZ
United Arab Emirates speedster Junaid Siddique was the star against New Zealand in the third T20I at the Dubai International Stadium. The 30-year-old was outstanding for the hosts as he claimed 3/26 from his four overs. Siddique restricted the run flow in the slog overs by removing Will Young and Mark Chapman in quick succession. NZ still managed 166/5 from their 20 overs.
A valiant spell from Siddique
Returning to the team, Siddique showed his prowess with the ball as he was the standout bowler for the hosts. He removed the dangerous Tim Seifert in his first over as the batter top-edged a bouncer and handed a catch straight to the deep backward square-leg fielder The 30-year-old then removed Young with a slower ball. Lastly, he dismissed Chapman in the 17th over.
Third-highest wicket-taker for UAE in T20Is
Siddique has now raced to 41 wickets in this format and is the third-highest wicket-taker for UAE. The speedster has featured in 33 T20Is and has an average of 22. He also maintains an economy rate of 7.49. Among UAE bowlers, only Rohan Mustafa (61) and Zahoor Khan (54) are ahead of him. His only four-wicket haul in T20Is came against Qatar.
Summary of the NZ innings
UAE invited NZ to bat first and the visitors once again were off to a shaky start. They lost Bowes and Seifert inside the powerplay overs before Young and Chapman added an 84-run crucial partnership, taking the total beyond the 100-run mark. Both batters perished soon after as Mitchell Santner added the finishing touches to help NZ reach 166/5. Siddique finished with 3/26.
