KARACHI, July 16: Rains and storm curtailed play in the Youth Asia Cup on Wednesday with both matches being abandoned.

Qatar had barely started their innings against United Arab Emirates (UAE) after lunch when the rains arrived to wipe out the Pool ‘A’ fixture at UBL Sports Complex.

Needing 202 for victory, Qatar had reached 12 for no wicket in the third over before the players and the umpires ran for shelter at 1.57pm. And when the rains did relent the square and the outfield was too wet for a restart.

Umpires Nadeem Ghauri and Islam Khan, in consultation with match referee Haris Ahmed Khan, opted to call off the proceedings for the day at 3.38pm. Both teams were awarded three points each.

Such was the force of the strong winds that several windowpanes in the pavilion were shattered. Dr Vace Paes, head of the tournament medical committee, was pressed into service when a policeman sitting on the top floor of the building received a nasty cut on his forehead when the window glass smashed into his face. The injury necessitated eight stitches.

Dr Paes, 58, is father of top Indian tennis player Laender Paes, winner of several Grand Slam doubles titles including the mixed doubles with Martina Navratilova in the recent Wimbledon championships.

Earlier, UAE, playing their first game of the tournament, lost their way in the second half of their innings, mainly through poor running between the wickets, to be all out for 201 in 43 overs. At one point, they were 120 for three after skipper Ryan Chadha had won the toss.

Left-handed opener Asim Zubair batted well at the top to hit 57 off 53 balls with four fours and one six before being caught behind by Wasim Akram off slow left-armer Qamar Sadiq.

Ramvir Rai (32 off 39 balls, four fours) put on 61 for the first wicket with Asim was one of the four batsmen to lose his wicket through run out.

Qamar was the pick of the Qatar bowlers with three for 38 in 10 overs. Leg-spinner Mohammad Emran claimed two for 36, also in 10 overs.

Singapore, meanwhile, were extremely unlucky at Karachi Gymkhana where a victory over lowly rated Maldives was almost guaranteed but for the rains with both teams sharing points.

Maldives had progressed to 17 for one in 6.4 overs when the match was abandoned.

Skipper Syed Zeeshan Raza led from the front with an aggressive knock of 91 off 82 balls as Singapore amassed 276 for nine in their 50 overs after electing to bat first.

Apart from Zeeshan, who struck eight boundaries, opener Christopher Janik made 40 with the help of four hits to the fence.

Medium-pacer Mohammad Imran captured four for 65 for the Maldivians including the scalp of Zeeshan. Slow left-armer Mohammad Mahfooz took two for 44.

With more rains forecast matches scheduled for Thursday are likely to be disrupted. They will be lucky to get any play at all given the conditions and equipment at some of the venues regarding pitch and square covering.

Summarised scores:

*At UBL Sports Complex, no result.

UAE 201 in 43 overs (Asim Zubair 57, Ramvir Rai 32, Ryan Chadha 20; Qamar Sadiq 3-38, Mohammad Emran 2-36);

QATAR 12-0 in 2.4 overs.

*At Karachi Gymkhana, no result.

SINGAPORE 276-9 in 50 overs (Syed Zeeshan Raza 91, Christopher Janik 40, Iftekhar Haider 36; Mohammad Imran 4-65, Mohammad Mahfooz 2-44);

MALDIVES 17-1 in 6.4 overs.

Thursday’s Pool ‘B’ fixtures: Hong Kong v Malaysia at PCB Regional Academy Ground; Kuwait v Thailand at Aga Khan Gymkhana.