The United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong will battle it out for the sole ticket to the ACC Asia Cup after finishing as the top two teams at the end of Qualifying round robin stage on Tuesday.

UAE topped the six-team standings with eight points while Hong Kong edged out Oman on a better net run-rate to take second spot after the two teams both finished on seven points.



The winner of the final on Thursday at the Kinrara Oval will meet India and Pakistan in Group A of the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi and Dubai later this month.



Hong Kong edged a low-scoring clash with Nepal by three wickets at the UKM Oval in Bangi while UAE handed Oman their first defeat of the tournament with a 13-run win.



A battling half-century by captain Anshuman Rath was key to Hong Kong's victory over Nepal as they reached their target of 96 in 32.3 overs.



Rath hit three fours in a six in a patient 52 off 82 balls with wickets regularly tumbling around him.



Kinchit Shah (11) was the only other Hong Kong batsman to reach double figures, who together with Rath were among Sandeep Lamichhane's five victims in the innings.

Nepal slid to their third defeat in five matches when they were all out for 95 in 37.5 overs with Md Arif Sheikh's 18 runs the top score.



Tanwir Afzal set the tone by bowling Subah Khakurel with the first ball of the match before Ehsan Khan wiped out the lower order for figures of four for 15.



Oman needed 39 runs from their last 10 overs with three wickets remaining to deny UAE a spot in the final at the Bayuemas Oval in Klang.



However, Muhammad Naseem ended unbeaten on 27 after running out of partners as UAE snared the last three wickets to finish top of the standings.



UAE captain Rohan Mustafa belted 71 runs off 104 balls, featuring eight fours and a six, as UAE reached 208-8 in 50 overs before Muhammad Naveed, Muhammad Amir Hayat and Mustafa claimed two wickets each to bowl Oman out for 195 in 47.2 overs



Singapore ended a run of four defeats to beat Malaysia by 29 runs at the Kinrara Oval for their first win of the tournament.

Anish Edward Paraam scored 100 runs from 95 balls to pace Singapore to 276-9 in 50 overs while hitting 12 fours and three sixes.



Manpreet Singh and Anantha Krishna weighed in with 34 and 30 respectively as Singapore set the hosts a stiff target.



After losing Anwar Arudin in the second ball of the innings, Malaysia reached 137-1 in the 31st over before Shafiq Sharif went off with an injury after scoring 77.



Captain Ahmad Faiz Mohammed Noor (59) fell the next over before Shafiq returned 10 overs later to take his score to 93 before falling to Amjad Mahboob (5-49).



Virandeep Singh scored 53 off 50 but no other Malaysian batsman scored more than 15 as the hosts ended on 247 all out with one ball remaining.



Malaysia and Singapore both finished on two points but the former took fifth place with a better net run-rate.



ACC Asia Cup Qualifier 2018: Day 7, 4th September 2018



Malaysia vs Singapore at Kinrara Oval

SINGAPORE WON BY 29 RUNS

Singapore won the toss and chose to bat

Singapore: 276 for 9 off 50 overs (A.Paraam 100, M.Singh 34, A.Krishna 30; S.Idrus 3-51)

Malaysia: 247 all out off 45.5 overs (S.Sharif 93, F.Noor 59, V.Singh 53; A.Mahboob 5-49)

Man of the Match: Anish Edward Paraam (Singapore)



UAE vs Oman at Bayuemas Oval

UAE WON BY 13 RUNS

Oman won the toss and elected to field

UAE: 208 for 8 off 50 overs (R.Mustafa 71)

Oman: 195 all out off 47.2 overs (A.Sulehri 45)

Man of the Match: Rohan Mustafa (UAE)



Nepal vs Hong Kong at UKM Oval

HONG KONG WON BY THREE WICKETS

Nepal won the toss and chose to bat

Nepal: 95 all out off 37.5 overs (E.Khan 4-15)

Hong Kong: 96 for 7 off 32.3 overs (A.Rath 52; S.Lamichhane 5-27)

Man of the Match: Anshuman Rath (Hong Kong)

Tournament page

Photos by Peter Lim, Vincent Phoon, Alex Liew

Filed September 4th, 2018