Mohammad Irfan stars in thumping Uganda win | Cricket

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Uganda 222 for 8 (Irfan 51, Kayondo 44, Riazat 38, Stephen 3-37) beat Vanuatu 141 (Mansale 69, Riazat 3-16, Irfan 3-24) by 81 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

© ICC/Peter Lim

Two days after taking a career-best 6 for 23 against Bermuda, Mohammad Irfan was at it again. His blistering half-century and a three-wicket haul with his offspin helped Uganda beat Vanuatu by 81 runs at WCL Division Four.

Irfan's 17-ball 51 at Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur included seven sixes. This astonishing assault came after Uganda were struggling for momentum at 92 for 4 in 37 overs. From there on, Uganda scored at 10 runs an over. Irfan scored 51 in a whirlwind 55-run stand off just 26 balls with Hamu Kayondo to shift the momentum. Uganda eventually finished with 222 for 8 in 50 overs.

It wasn't all about Irfan's assault though. Riazat Ali took over after Irfan's dismissal, hitting four sixes in his 23-ball 38. Vanuatu captain Andrew Mansale bore the brunt of the aggression, conceding nine of the 13 sixes hit by Uganda in his nine overs of offspin. He finished with 1 for 78.

Uganda captain Roger Mukasa repeated the bowling strategy that worked so effectively when they bowled out Bermuda for 60. He gave the new ball to offspinners Irfan and Frank Nsubuga, and the move worked as they Vanuatu were reduced to 2 for 4, including the prized scalp of player-coach Shane Deitz for a third-ball duck.

Nalin Nipiko fell at the end of the Powerplay to make it 24 for 5 as Uganda pressed hard for another massive win to boost their net run rate further. Mansale, however, brought respectability back to the Vanuatu innings with his 69 off 110 balls during the course of a 53-run sixth-wicket stand with Ronald Tari to give Vanuatu an outside chance.

Riazat Ali Shah took out Mansale in the 43rd over and finished off the rest of the tail with 3 for 16 as Vanuatu were eventually all out for 141 in 47 overs.

Peter Della Penna is ESPNcricinfo's USA correspondent @PeterDellaPenna

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Mohammad Hafeez cleared to bowl once more

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Pakistan will once more have the complete services of allrounder Mohammad Hafeez at their disposal, after his rejigged bowling action was cleared by the ICC.

Hafeez, 37, was reported for a suspect action during an ODI against Sri Lanka in October, with an assessment at Loughborough University finding his action illegal - the third time that had happened in his career.

After working on his action over the past few months, Hafeez was tested again at Loughborough University a fortnight ago, and the results today declared his bowling action to be legal once more. It will come as a major boost to Pakistan, who had relied heavily on Hafeez's all-round game in the months leading up to his action being found illegal, rising to the top of the T20I rankings, and winning the Champions Trophy in June last year.

Hafeez's bowling was crucial in allowing Pakistan to field attacking bowling line-ups with more wicket-taking options without compromising on their batting depth.

Hafeez had enlisted the services of spin bowling consultant Carl Crowe, who also worked with West Indies spinner Sunil Narine on his action. He had also helped Hafeez overturn a one-year ban the second time he was reported. Hafeez also worked with biomechanics specialist Dr Paul Herron in England in December. He failed an unofficial test at a laboratory at LUMS university in Lahore days before the start of the Pakistan Super League - albeit very narrowly. But he did not bowl during the PSL.

Hafeez's problems with his bowling action go back a long way. He was first reported over 13 years ago during an ODI tri-series in Australia in 2005. Regulations concerning illegal actions were different back then and he soon returned. In 2014, his action was reported during the Champions League T20, and then again following a Test match against New Zealand later that year. Having twice been found over the legal limit for elbow extension, Hafeez was banned from bowling for 12 months.

He returned to bowling after his ban and cleared a bowling test in 2016, before the issue arose again leading to his current suspension.

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