Pakistan secure easy win over UAE

Pakistan have crushed the United Arab Emirates by 129 runs in their Cricket World Cup match in Napier.

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The victory target always looked out of the UAE's reach in the day-nighter on Wednesday, after Pakistan posted 6-339.

The result took Pakistan's win-loss record to 2-2 and put them in fourth spot in Pool B, while also crucially bolstering their net run-rate ahead of a crunch clash with South Africa in Auckland on Saturday.

"That was a much-needed win for us," skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said.

"Obviously we won by a margin and we can relax a bit, but the next game is really important and we need to focus on that."

The UAE remain without a point after four matches, but captain Mohammad Tauqir said his players can take positives away from McLean Park.

"Batting all 50 overs was a very good effort," he said.

"We want to put up a decent performance (at the World Cup) and even today's effort was decent."

While the part-timers' chase never threatened before they ended on 8-210, there was a notable knock from Shaiman Anwar, who got to 62 before holing out.

It was Anwar's third half-century in his four World Cup innings, which included a maiden ODI ton against Ireland.

The 35-year-old right-hander has now taken his tournament aggregate to 270 runs, making him the competition's highest run-getter.

He got good support from Khurram Khan with 43, before Amjad Javed produced some late power hitting with 40 off 33 balls, including 21 runs from one Sohail Khan over.

The contest drifted at times, as Pakistan took a conservative approach in the field despite the improbability of a UAE upset.

There were also injury concerns over giant paceman Mohammad Irfan, who managed just three overs before going off for treatment.

Pakistan, after being sent in to bat, lost Nasir Jamshed early.

Fellow opener Ahmed Shehzad should have gone cheaply as well, but survived two dropped catches.

Shehzad and Haris Sohail then consolidated before building a big partnership.

With the stand at 160, Sohail was caught for 70. Shehzad followed seven balls later, run out for 93.

Sohaib Maqsood (45) and Misbah (65) got the Pakistan innings back on track.

Misbah's dismissal meant a hat-trick opportunity for left-arm seamer Manjula Guruge, who wasn't able to convert, but ended with match-best figures of 4-56 from his eight overs.

Shahid Afridi threw his bat at the ball at the end, smashing 21 off seven deliveries, and passing 8000 ODI runs.