Bottom of the table Papua New Guinea (PNG) gave a huge blow to the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) One-Day International (ODI) ambitions with a 56-run victory in the Triangular Series of the ICC World Cup League 2 at the TU ground in Kirtipur on Friday.

The outcome effectively ended the Gulf country’s hopes of a direct entry into ICC World Cup League 2 and they are also in danger of losing out on their ODI status due to end in July. The UAE sit sixth in the seven-team standings with 31 points from 33 matches, while PNG are at the bottom of the table with 11 points and are already out of the race of reclaiming their ODI status.

UAE must now win all its three remaining matches in the series to guarantee a top-five finish or win two games with big margins to keep afloat their ODI hopes. The top five teams of League 2 are expected to retain their ODI status. UAE will play the remaining two matches against hosts Nepal and one against PNG.

Sent in to bat first after losing the toss, PNG posted a challenging total of 249-6 on the back of half-centuries from three of its top order batters. Chasing the target, UAE struggled with the bat and were bowled out for 190 runs in 42.2 overs to lose four League 2 games in a row against PNG, starting from March last year.

PNG were off to a solid start to their innings as openers Kiplin Doriga and Hiri Hiri and the next batter Sese Bau all scored half centuries. Doriga and Hiri shared a 72-run stand for the opening wicket.

Doriga, who cracked a 44-ball 55 scored eight boundary hits along with two sixes. He was trapped leg before wicket by Aayan Afzal Khan. Hiri hit 77 runs off 85 balls studded with five boundaries and four sixes before he got bowled by leg spinner Khan with 184-2 on board.

Hiri also shared a 112-run stand for the second wicket, a record partnership for PNG, with the game’s top scorer Sese Bau, who played an unconquered innings of 81 off 106 balls. PNG’s previous best ODI partnership of 110 runs was against Nepal in March last year at the same venue. The player-of-the-match Bau slammed 10 hits to the fence.

Chad Soper and Norman Vanua contributed 10 runs each to the PNG total.

UAE’s spinner Khan picked up three wickets in his 10-over spell, conceding 34 runs with three maiden overs. Saboor Khan and Junaid Siddique also took three wickets each.

Chasing the target, Aryan Lakra scored 51 runs off 72, the highest score of the UAE innings. However, the UAE lost wickets at regular intervals. Lakra, the number three batter hit five hits to the fence and a six before being dismissed.

Team opener and captain Mushmmad Waseem scored a quickfire knock of 41 off 27 balls that included three hits to the boundary and three sixes. Chudangapoyil Rizwan (19 runs), Zawar Farid (19 runs), Karthik Meiyappan (14 runs), Rohan Mustafa (11 runs) and Asif Khan (11 runs) were the other UAE batters to reach double-digit scores.

Riley Hekure was the pick of PNG bowling, bagging three wickets in his 7.2 overs spell, conceding 16 runs. Assad Vala and Kabua Morea took two wickets each for PNG.

Nepal and the UAE will play the next match of the series on Sunday.