Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"It's been an excellent performance from the UAE, they've just run out of steam a little bit."

Big Javed is back in the attack, his first six overs produced 1-38. Only two singles conceded but the rate is not a concern for the Zimbabweans. Wickets urgently required by UAE. Some rare fair weather cloud partially shields the sun momentarily.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"Zimbabwe are just showing the experience they have over UAE. They have kept their wickets intact and put themselves in a position where they should definitely win this game. It's theirs to lose."

There were 45 scored in those five powerplay overs and Zimbabwe seem to be in command now. Naveed sends one down that barely pitches on the cut strip. Three wides in the over and Williams also picks up two fours to reach fifty from 42 balls, his 18th in ODIs.

Zimbabwe 222-5 after 40 overs (target 286)

Batsmen: Williams 38, Ervine 33

Fall of wickets: 64-1 (Raza 46), 72-2 (Masakadza 1), 112-3 (Chakabva 35), 144-4 (Taylor 47), 167-5 (Mire 9)

Bowling figures: Naveed 8-1-31-1, Javed 6-0-38-1, Aziz 10-0-53-1, Tauqir 9-0-51-2, Chandran 6-0-39-0, Mustafa 1-0-8-0

United Arab Emirates: 285-7 (Anwar 67)

Match scorecard

Radio 5 live sports extra commentary

Fifty partnership from 41 balls between the two left-handers. Rohan Mustafa is the new bowler, in only his fourth ODI. Fairly wretched final ball from the spinner, a half tracker which Ervine had time to play half a dozen shots to. He thumps it ruthlessly through the covers for his first four.

Colourful character Chandran, an earring gleaming in his left ear. No distraction for Ervine, who thumps his second six with a delightfully fluid stroke into the leg-side.

Aziz completes his spell and almost collects a wicket with his final delivery, Williams driving to extra cover and it perhaps dips just in front of the fielder, in fairness to him.

Ryan Whittaker:, external Played at a lovely little ground just outside of Amsterdam. Definition of picturesque.

That's a pretty good way to reduce the rate, Ervine flicking Chandran off his legs for a sweetly timed six, the fourth Zimbabwean to clear the ropes in this innings. Still plenty of excited chatter in the field from the UAE, however, very different to the West Indies the other day.

The skies are still beautifully clear approaching 6pm in Nelson. A delicate paddle sweep from Ervine brings him three as Aziz sends down a full toss, but the required run rate has slipped above seven per over.

Karate Kid Chandran back for another burst of his (slow medium) fast medium. He restricts the scoring to two singles. The requirement is 109 from 15 overs with only five wickets intact. Much for the Zimbos (as Graeme Swann calls them, anyone else?) to ponder during the drinks break.

Image source, @MikeyBlighe

Michael Blighe:, external My hometown Bishop Auckland has got a lovely little ground. Little wooden decking area, lush grass. Sigh.

David Langley:, external Newlands in Cape Town with Table Mountain in the background! Always visually stunning on TV.

I think David may have you there Michael.

This is the UAE's 19th ODI. Their first win came in the 1996 World Cup when they overcame the Netherlands but since then they have only beaten Hong Kong and Afghanistan. Craig Ervine is the new man, so two left-handers at the crease now. He is the man with the highest average in the team, 34, with a best of 85. Williams collects an overthrow, when the attempt to run him out is not backed up and flies over the timbers.

But maybe we still can. Mire is on his way. He had thumped a full blooded pull into his own pad the ball before and then edges a wide one from Naveed into the grateful gloves of the wicketkeeper.

Aziz rattles through his overs, no consideration these little spinners. Just the two singles. No chance yet to use the "Zimbabwe in the Mire" pun.

Agent Giuseppe:, external You know you're a cricket obsessive when you're still going at 4am for UAE v Zimbabwe...

(But what about your prettiest ground Agent?)

A waist high full toss down the leg-side from the returning Naveed will not be what his captain is looking for and it brushes the thigh pad for four leg byes. Now our prettiest grounds debate has not got going. At all. I'm well aware it is 04:16 in the UK but those of you in the southern hemisphere have no excuse. It's #bbccricket for your entries please.

Zimbabwe's first ODI win came in the 1983 World Cup in England and it was against Australia when a certain portly left-hander by the name of Duncan Fletcher got a few runs. Mire clips Aziz for two to mid-wicket but then requires some treatment on his hamstring, allowing Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" to continue into a second chorus. I wonder where it reached in the New Zealand charts.

Solomon Mire is the new batsman facing Tauqir and he gets off the mark with a risky single to mid-off. It would have been close had it hit but the throw was the equivalent of a shot at goal going for a throw-in. Williams thumps a swashbuckling six into the brown dried grass bank over mid-wicket.