Karthik Meiyappan’s hat-trick: ‘We talked about it all night. We still cannot believe it’

So remote are the UAE’s chances of advancing to the next phase of the T20 World Cup, the ICC have already booked their flights back to Dubai.

The national team have one match left in Australia, on Thursday evening against Namibia.

Mathematically, they could still advance with a very heavy win. Realistically, they are playing for pride, and the opportunity to carve out a few more memories to pack with them for the 14-hour flight to Dubai.

They certainly have a few of those already. Even amid the wreckage of another listless defeat, at the hands of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, the national team had plenty of entries for the highlights reel.

Junaid Siddique, the fast-bowler-come-genuine-tailender, smashed a six over the Reg Hickie Stand, with its distinctive curved pylons which are designed to look like cats’ claws. (Kardinia Park is home to the Geelong Cats Australian Rules football team.)

The game was well since lost, and UAE were being humbled. And yet Siddique lapped up the moment, flexing his biceps towards his teammates in the dugout. At 109 metres, it will take some beating as the longest hit of the tournament.

Just the 109 metres for that Junaid Siddique six, the biggest of the tournament so far.