Hosts United Arab Emirates lifted the title of ACC Men’s U19 Premier Cup after defeating Nepal, the defending champions, by 27 runs at the Ajman-based Karwan Ground on Monday.

Opting to bowl first, Nepal were able to restrict the UAE to a low total of 147 in 45.5 overs. Dayanand Mandal was the hero with the ball as he bagged six wickets in his 6.5 overs, giving away only 17 runs.

Mandal’s biggest wicket was of Muhammad Rayan Khan, who helped the UAE to the total single-handedly. Khan smashed 71 off 126 before departing for a coordinated catch between Roshan Bishwakarma and Darsh Sonar. Bishwakarma grabbed the ball and crossed the boundary line, but he threw it towards Sonar before touching the ground to send the set Khan back to the pavilion.

Aprajit Poudel also bagged two wickets for Nepal, while Nitesh Kumar Patel and skipper Ashok Dhami took one each.

Meanwhile, despite 148 to chase in 300 deliveries, Nepal were all out in 33.2 overs.

Nepali batters struggled against the UAE bowlers. Losing the first four wickets in 8.1 overs with the total at 16 runs, the young Rhinos saw a partnership of 44 runs between Dhami and Aashish Luhar. When Luhar (25 off 40) departed in 18.4 overs, Nepal were at 60 runs.

The other five wickets fell for Nepal with the team at 120 runs in 33.2 overs. Dhami was the highest scorer with 34 off 66, while Bishwakarma contributed 25 off 16.

Ali Asgar Shums and Yug Jai Sharma took three wickets each for the UAE, while Uddish Suri and Noorullah Ayobi picked two each.

While Nepal lost the final, they have qualified for the U19 Asia Cup as one of the top three teams of the tournament. The UAE and Malaysia, who finished third after defeating Oman on Monday, are the other two.