Al Nasr and Al Bataeh beat Sharjah and Al Wasl in round two

Al Nasr beat holders Sharjah 85-82 at Al Nasr's hall in Dubai in round two of Group A in the preliminary stage of the men's general league, a round that also saw Al Bataeh win 84-76 away at Al Wasl.

In a closely matched game, level at 36-36 at half-time, Sharjah let slip the chance to finish the third quarter ahead at 22-21, before a fourth-quarter revival from Al Nasr carried them to a 28-24 advantage in the period and the win.

In a different pattern, Al Bataeh secured their win over Al Wasl by taking the first three quarters 20-18, 26-20 and 22-18, with Al Wasl managing only the fourth, 20-16.

Under the competition's format the preliminary stage is played as a group league organised on geographical lines, part of the federation's efforts to ease the burden on clubs given the travel difficulties imposed by current conditions and the measures to limit the spread of Covid-19.

The ten teams in the preliminary stage were divided into two groups: Group A of Sharjah, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Bataeh, Al Nasr and Al Wasl; and Group B of Al Jazira, Bani Yas, Al Dhafra, Al Wahda and Al Ain, whose opening matches are on the 14th of this month. The top three in each group advance to the quarter-finals.

The fourth and fifth-placed teams enter an additional round to decide the two sides completing the last eight, with each group's fourth-placed team meeting the other group's fifth.