Afghanistan have recorded just their second ever one-day win over the UAE in 11 games after winning the third ODI today by two wickets with two balls to spare.

After Mohammad Nabi won the toss and chose to field first, UAE openers Amjad Ali and Andri Berenger put on 68 for the first wicket, the partnership ending when the latter was out for 27. Amjad Ali was next out for 47, before Mohammad Shahzad and Khurram Khan again put together a substantial partnership.

The pair put on 65 for the third wicket before Shahzad was out for 62. Khan stayed in until the end of the innings, reaching an unbeaten 85 out of the UAE total of 273-5.

The Afghan reply started with a partnership of 60 between Javed Ahmadi and Nawroz Mangal in just 8 overs. Mangal contributed just 10 of those runs, with Ahmadi going on to score 67 from 45 balls before he was the second man out in the 13th over, the score on 91.

The Afghanistan middle order failed to put any significant partnership together, and it wasn't until the seventh wicket pairing of Shafiqullah and Mirwais Ashraf that the visitors looked like they were in with a chance. The two put on 50 together before Shafiqullah was out for 39.

Ashraf then began to guide the tail towards their target, keeping up a quick pace of run scoring at the same time. With seven balls left though, they needed 17 and a win was looking unlikely. But Shapoor Zadran hit a six from the last ball of the penultimate over, leaving just nine needed from the last. A six from Ashraf in the final over, bringing up his fifty, sealed the two wicket win.

The sides will meet again in the final ODI on Thursday, which again will be at the ICC Academy ground.

United Arab Emirates lost to Afghanistan by 2 wickets
ICC Academy, Dubai, 2 December
United Arab Emirates 273-5 (50 overs, Khurram Khan 85*, Mohammad Shahzad 62, Amjad Ali 47)
Afghanistan 276-8 (49.4 overs, Javed Ahmadi 67, Mirwais Ashraf 52*, Shafiqullah 39)