ICC World Cup 2015: Pakistan enter race for knockout phase after UAE win

Pakistan sealed their second win of the 2015 ICC World Cup after their latest victory over the United Arab Emirates at McLean Park, Napier, on Wednesday.

UAE won the toss and Mohammad Tauqir elected to bat first. Pakistan's misery of losing early wickets continued as Nasir Jamshed was bowled out for just four runs.

It was Ahmed Shehzad and Haris Sohail's first wicket partnership of 160 runs that laid the foundation for Pakistan to post a huge total. Sohail managed 70 runs, while the opening batsman fell seven short of a World Cup hundred.

Sohaib Maqsood (45) and Misbah-ul-Haq (65), followed by a seven-ball-21 from Shahid Afridi at the end helped Pakistan reach a total of 339 runs for the loss of six wickets from their 50 overs.

In reply, UAE lost their first three wickets with just 25 runs on the board. Khurram Khan (43) and Shaiman Anwar (62) tried to help UAE seal their first win. However, following the duo's dismissal, they lost three more wickets.

UAE batted 50 overs and managed 210 runs, while losing eight wickets in the process. Pakistan sealed a 129-run victory in their fourth Group B clash of the tournament.

With the latest win, Pakistan have moved to the fourth spot in the group table with four points from four games. They are level on points with fifth place Ireland, with only the net run rate separating the two teams. However, Ireland still have a game in hand.

Shehzad was named the player of the match for his impressive knock of 93 runs. He said: "Pretty much satisfied before the big game (against South Africa). We didn't want to be in a similar situation like we were against Zimbabwe.

"All the coaches and players have been very supportive to try and fix that. The way Misbah and Haris batted to help us get momentum, will be useful against South Africa. We need to stand up as a team and play as well as we did today."

Pakistan will take on South Africa on Saturday, while UAE face South Africa in their upcoming clash on March 12.