The rollercoaster ride that is the 2018 World Cup Qualifier continued today in Harare. Whilst fans of associate cricket were despondent yesterday as Scotland missed out on a place in the World Cup on the back of a shocking umpire decision, they were celebrating today as the United Arab Emirates recorded their first win over an ICC full member.

In the process they left Zimbabwe on the verge of missing their first World Cup since they became an ICC member, and set up a winner takes all match between Ireland and Afghanistan tomorrow.

The home side won the toss at the Harare Sports Club and put the UAE in to bat. They lost Ashfaq Ahmed early on, but captain Rohan Mustafa and Ghulam Shabber put on 74 for the second wicket before Mustafa was out for 31 to get them back into the game.

Shabber was out soon afterwards for 40, with Rameez Shahzad and Shaiman Anwar then putting on another 74 for the fourth wicket. Shahzad was the top scorer for the UAE with 59, and their innings was eventually brought to an early end by a heavy rain shower after 47.5 overs with their score on 235-7.

After the rain had stopped and the ground cleared up, the Zimbabwe innings started with them facing a DLS adjusted target of 230 in 40 overs. Their reply started poorly with openers Solomon Mire and Hamilton Masakadza both dismissed for single figure scores.

Brendan Taylor, a centurion against the West Indies, only managed 15 today and the hosts found themselves well on the back foot on 45-3 in the twelfth over. His dismissal brought Sean Williams to the crease to join PJ Moor, and the pair fought back with a 79 run fourth wicket partnership.

After Moor was out for 39, Sikander Raza helped Williams put on 61 for the fourth wicket before Raza was out 34 in the 35th over, with 45 runs still needed. When Williams finally fell for a well made 80 at exactly a run a ball, Zimbabwe needed 24 runs from the last three overs.

Graeme Cremer was the seventh wicket to fall in the 38th over, and with just five runs coming from it, Zimbabwe had a hill to climb with 19 needed from the last two. A tight over by Amir Hayat then left them needing 15 from the last.

Kyle Jarvis scored three from the first two balls, putting Craig Ervine on strike with 12 needed from four balls. A four to third man edged them closer, but Ervine could only manage a single from the fourth ball of the over. Jarvis got him back on strike with another single, leaving him needing a six from the last to put Zimbabwe into the World Cup.

Ervine could only manage two, and Zimbabwe had lost by three runs, all but eliminating Zimbabwe from contention.

Should tomorrow's Ireland v Afghanistan match be a tie, Zimbabwe will qualify. A no-result will see Ireland qualify, otherwise the winners will join West Indies in the 2019 World Cup. With a great rivalry having developed between the two newest ICC full members in recent years, it would be a brave man to write off the prospects of yet another thriller in this tournament.