A rare hit wicket and the oldest captain

After Elton Chigumbura sent UAE in to bat, he wanted early wickets to justify his decision. Duly Tendai Chatara drew an edge behind from Andri Berenger in the second over of the match, only to see the wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor spill a reasonably straightforward chance. The ricochet off the gloves also allowed Berenger off the mark. He went on to score 22.

In Chatara's next over he again picked up an edge behind off Berenger, this time taken by Taylor behind the stumps. But alarm bells began to ring when umpire Johan Cloete asked Berenger to hold on while he checked on a no-ball. Replays confirmed that Chatara had overstepped by a fraction and Berenger was given another let-off.

UAE might not be renowned as having express fast bowlers, but there were still some concerns for the Zimbabwe batsmen during the early overs of their chase. Amjad Javed banged in a bouncer that rose higher than Sikandar Raza expected; he tried to hook and was struck flush on the front of the helmet. Befitting the name of their country, the UAE players were united in their appeal for caught-behind, but umpire Cloete ruled correctly that there was no bat before helmet.

Regis Chakabva had laboured for 35 from 62 balls when he fell in unfortunate fashion, playing back to the offspin of Mohammad Tauqir, working the ball off his pads to leg, and then slipping over and disturbing his stumps with his left foot. It was the eighth time a batsman had been out hit wicket in a World Cup match. The last was also a Zimbabwean: Vusi Sibanda against Ireland in Kingston in 2007.

At 43 years and 32 days, Tauqir became the oldest captain in World Cup history. The previous record holder was Steve Lubbers of the Netherlands, who was 42 years and 347 days when he last led his side in the 1996 World Cup. Three men have led their teams in non-World Cup ODIs while older than Tauqir: England's Norman Gifford, Hong Kong's Rahul Sharma, and Tauqir's UAE team-mate Khurram Khan.