Cricket: Black Caps beat UAE in third Twenty20 to clinch series

New Zealand's Tim Southee. Photosport

The Black Caps have avoided further embarrassment by clinching the Twenty20 series over the UAE in Dubai.

After losing the second match yesterday, Tim Southee’s side bounced back to win the third and final game by 32 runs to take out the series 2-1.

Will Young (56) and Mark Champman (51) put on 84 for the fourth wicket as the Black Caps made 166 for five.

Regular wickets halted UAE’s chase as they finished well short of what would have been their biggest series win.

Number seven Aayan Afzal Khan top scored with 42 from 36 balls while Ben Lister was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers taking 3-35.

“It was by far our best performance of the series. [A] Good way to finish the series,” Southee said.

“Think the heat has been a big factor. The guys adjusted pretty well. When you travel, you have to adapt to different conditions quickly,” he added.