SIMI Singh scored 54 not out and took 5-10 with the ball to help Ireland beat United Arab Emirates by 112 runs and draw the much-delayed ODI series 1-1.

The series was originally scheduled for four games in Abu Dhabi but the UAE were hit by multiple Covid-19 issues.

Ireland started slowly but Singh and Curtis Campher (56) rescued them from 10-3 to post a competitive 228-6.

UAE reached 45-0 after nine overs but spinner Singh’s five wickets saw the hosts collapse to 116 all out.

Singh’s performance with bat and ball – his 5-10 was the third most economical five-wicket haul in ODI history – earned him the man of the match award.

He took the first five wickets, aided by some dreadful batting, to leave UAE 64-5.

Kevin O’Brien took the next before any more runs had been scored. Gareth Delany and Andy McBrine took a wicket apiece and there were two run outs as Ireland completed a comprehensive victory.

Ireland face Afghanistan on Thursday

Ireland planned to use the four games as match practice for their three World Cup qualifiers against Afghanistan which are scheduled to begin at the same Abu Dhabi venue on Thursday.

In the event, they had to be content with just two matches as the Irish faced a UAE side who had been confined to their hotel rooms for more than a week because of seven positive Covid-19 tests in their camp.

Early on, it was the Irish that were exhibiting all the signs of rustiness as opener O’Brien lofted an easy catch to Waheed Ahmed before Paul Stirling’s edge to wicketkeeper Vriitya Aravind was followed by skipper Andrew Balbirnie holing out at cover to CP Rizwan in the fifth over.

Reeling at 10-3, Ireland only managed six runs in their next 4.4 overs but Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker did manage to dig in to produce a 72-run partnership.

However, UAE skipper Ahmed Raza clean bowled Tector (33) and soon dismissed wicketkeeper batsman Tucker to leave the visitors again in a degree of trouble on 99-5.

The UAE bowlers tied down Campher and Singh early in their innings as even reaching 200 looked a long shot for the Irish. (BBC Sport