Oman stun table-toppers USA with dominant spin display
MUSCAT: Oman roared back into form with a commanding seven-wicket victory over group leaders USA in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 at the Oman Cricket Academy ground in Al Amerat on Wednesday.
Bouncing back from their opening defeat against Namibia on Monday, Duleep Mendis' men delivered a spin masterclass to dismantle the USA batting lineup, restricting them to a meagre 151 before skipper Jatinder Singh anchored the chase with a composed, unbeaten half-century (82).
Opting to bowl first, Oman's spin quartet - Shakeel Ahmed (4/26), Jay Odedra (3/23), Samay Shrivastava (2/34), and Wasim Ali (1/7) - left the USA in disarray, skittling them out for 151 in 42.1 overs.
Saiteja Mukkamalla fought a lone battle with a resilient 80 off 106 balls, but the rest of the USA lineup crumbled under relentless pressure.
The visitors suffered an early collapse as Shakeel Ahmed ripped through the top order, removing three of the first four batters, including captain Monank Patel, to leave the USA reeling at 36/3 inside the powerplay.
Brief resistance from Milind Kumar (12) and Aaron Jones (15) along with Mukkamalla momentarily steadied the innings, but Odedra and Shrivastava struck crucial blows to trigger another collapse. The tail offered little resistance, ensuring Oman had a modest target to chase.
In response, Oman's openers, Jatinder Singh and Aamir Kaleem, laid a solid foundation with a measured 63-run partnership.
Kaleem's patient 28 off 78 balls ended when he was trapped lbw by Harmeet Singh, but Jatinder remained rock-solid. He brought up his fifty off 88 balls, steering Oman's chase with calculated strokes.
Despite losing Hammad Mirza (12) at 97/2, Jatinder and Wasim Ali (18) stitched a crucial 32-run stand to keep Oman in firm control.
Wasim departed in the 41st over, but Jatinder, finishing unbeaten on 82 off 127 deliveries with eight fours and two sixes, alongside Vinayak Shukla (8*), guided Oman home in 45.5 overs.
Jatinder also set a new Oman record by becoming the first to have scored 12 ODI half-centuries, bettering the 11 in the name of former Oman batter Aqib Ilyas. Shakeel Ahmed was adjudged the Player of the Match for his four-wicket spell.
The emphatic victory propelled Oman to third place in the standings with 16 points, trailing only USA (18) and Canada (16), though the latter have played two fewer games. Netherlands (14) edged Scotland (14) on net run rate for fourth spot, with Namibia (12), Nepal (6), and UAE (4) rounding out the table.
Oman will look to build on this momentum when they face Namibia on February 16 before concluding the tri-series with a rematch against the USA on February 18.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
England crush West Indies to complete 3-0 series sweep
LONDON: Jamie Smith struck a maiden one-day international fifty to set-up England's victorious run chase as they completed a 3-0 series sweep of the West Indies at his Oval home ground on Tuesday. Player-of-the-match Smith, opening in ODIs for the first time this series, launched England's pursuit of a revised target of 246 with a quickfire 64 in a match reduced by rain to 40 overs per side "It felt great on my home ground, getting the team off to a good start, taking the pressure off the middle order," Smith told Sky Sports during the presentation ceremony. "That is the role I want to take on." Victory meant Harry Brook led England to a whitewash in his first series as permanent white-ball captain after they had lost their seven previous matches at this level, culminating in a woeful exit from this year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Brook was 26 not out at the finish but it was Jos Buttler, his predecessor as captain, who ended the match with an emphatic six out of the ground off fast bowler Jayden Seales that capped an unbeaten 41. "We have been talking about being dominant and finishing the series 3-0," said Brook, adding: "Smith took the game away from West Indies in the powerplay which is what we like to see." England made a blistering start to their chase, scoring 93 in the first seven overs. Smith's fifty came off 25 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. He hit four boundaries in four balls in the seventh over before being bowled by Gudakesh Motie, who earlier made a fine 63 in West Indies' total of 251-9 but conceded 74 runs in his eight overs. EVOLVING ROOT Smith's exit brought in Joe Root, fresh from steering England to a three-wicket win in Cardiff on Sunday with an ODI best of 166 not out that saw the star batsman become his country's leading run-scorer in this Duckett completed a 34-ball fifty including four fours and three sixes, before the left-handed opener fell for 58 when he flayed off-spinner Roston Chase to cover. Root could only manage 44 on Tuesday before he was caught top-edging a hook off Alzarri Joseph. But that still meant the player-of-the-series had scored 267 runs in three innings at an average of 133.5. "There is so much data out there so you have to evolve and expand your game," said Root, also England's leading run-scorer in Test cricket. Earlier, Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for the West Indies with 70 in his first match of the series. The tourists slumped to 121-6, with veteran England leg-spinner Adil Rashid (3-40) taking three wickets in quick succession. But Motie and Alzarri Joseph (41) shared an eighth-wicket stand of 91 in 12 overs before Smith made the West Indies' total look inadequate. The West Indies' day got off to a bad start when traffic problems meant they arrived at the ground late, delaying the start by 30 minutes. England avoided the traffic by riding bikes and made the most of winning the toss to leave their opponents 28-3 inside seven overs. "There are always positives you can take from any series, any match," said West Indies captain Shai Hope, out for a golden duck at the Oval, ahead of a three-match T20 series against England starting at Chester-le-Street on Friday. — AFP
Observer
6 days ago
- Observer
England's Bethell glad of Kohli influence after 1st ODI heroics
Birmingham, United Kingdom: Jacob Bethell said time spent with Virat Kohli compensated for a limited playing stint in the Indian Premier League after he bolstered his hopes of a Test recall with an impressive one-day international innings against the West Indies. Bethell's expertly-paced 82 off 53 balls on his Edgbaston home ground was the top score in England's 400-8 that laid the foundations for a crushing 238-run win as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in a three-match ODI series on Thursday. There were few signs of ring rust in what was Bethell's first international appearance in three months after a hamstring injury ruled the 21-year-old out of the Champions Trophy before his IPL commitments meant he missed last week's Test win over Zimbabwe. Bethell featured just twice for Royal Challengers Bangalore, but on both occasions he opened the batting with India star Kohli, who recently retired from Test duty. "I can't think of a specific thing he said to me that I was like 'that's what I'm going to remember', but it was just an accumulation over the couple of months of chatting to him," Bethell said. "I think he quite enjoys the overseas boys because we're pretty chilled around him, but he's definitely got whatever they say nowadays: 'aura'. It was pretty electrifying to walk out with him. He's got a certain intensity, he flips that switch on as soon as he crosses that line. "It was cool to experience someone of his calibre and how he goes about doing things. "(The IPL) was a great experience and I've definitely taken a lot for my game. I feel like I'm a better player now than I was a couple of months ago." Bethell's IPL stint meant England avoided having to choose between him and vice-captain Ollie Pope at number three in the Test against Zimbabwe. But they could now face a tricky decision ahead of an upcoming five-Test series at home to India, with the issues further complicated by Pope's 171 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. Bethell's focus for the moment is on Sunday's second ODI in Cardiff, where England could complete a first 50-over series win since just before the 2023 World Cup. "Whatever happens, it will be and when the time comes, it'll be fine," Bethell added. "I'm still trying to cement my place in this one-day side and the T20 side. If I get a chance in that Test side, I'll be looking to do the same. I'm just taking it game by game." — AFP
Observer
28-05-2025
- Observer
Oman return home proud after successful USA tour
MUSCAT: Oman narrowly missed out on a perfect tour finish after falling just nine runs short against hosts USA in a high-octane match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, USA, on Tuesday. Despite the narrow loss, Duleep Mendis' men can take pride in a hugely successful campaign, winning three out of four matches to consolidate their overall third place in the League 2 standings with 24 points — just behind leaders USA (28) and second-placed Netherlands (26). All three teams have played 20 games each. Scotland are fourth with 20 points from 16 games, followed by Canada (20 from 20), Namibia (14 from 20), UAE (6 from 16), and Nepal (6 from 12). On Tuesday, chasing a formidable target of 294 after the hosts posted 293/8, Oman staged a spirited fight led by a blistering 72 off 51 balls from all-rounder Sufyan Mehmood. However, USA held their nerve in the closing overs to clinch a nail-biting victory, restricting Oman to 284/9. Mehmood's late counterattack, featuring five boundaries and three sixes, nearly pulled off a sensational heist. He was well supported by Vinayak Shukla (46 off 37) and Hammad Mirza (50 off 52). But wickets fell at regular intervals, and Mehmood's dismissal in the 48th over at 273 proved pivotal. Earlier, USA rode on a steady team performance to post a strong total. Saiteja Mukkamalla top-scored with a fluent 73 off 79 deliveries, while Harmeet Singh was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution — 33 off 36 balls and a crucial bowling spell of 3/69. Key contributions also came from openers Smit Patel (41) and Shayan Jahangir (37), with Sanjay Krishnamurthi providing a late flourish through a rapid unbeaten 40 off 27 balls. Oman's bowlers shared the workload: Mehmood (3/58), Aamir Kaleem (2/43), and Shakeel Ahmed (2/52) were among the wickets. Despite disciplined efforts, the USA batters paced their innings well, accelerating at the death to push the total just beyond reach. In response, Oman lost Aamir Kaleem early but skipper Jatinder Singh (42) provided a solid platform. The middle-order trio of Mirza, Shukla and Mehmood revived the chase, and with 21 needed off the last two overs and two wickets in hand, Oman still had a shot. But Jasdeep Singh (3/64) and Harmeet Singh ensured USA finished on top. Although Oman missed out on a perfect four-win record, the team captained by Jatinder, return home with their heads held high. The tour was a strong statement of their consistency and growing strength in the 50-over format. BRIEF SCORES: USA 293/8 (Smit Patel 41, Shayan Jahangir 37, Saiteja Mukkamalla 73, Sanjay Krishnamurthi 40*, Harmeet Singh 33; Sufyan Mehmood 3/58, Shakeel Ahmed 2/52, Aamir Kaleem 2/43) beat Oman 284/9 (Jatinder Singh 42, Hammad Mirza 50, Vinayak Shukla 46, Sufyan Mehmood 72; Jasdeep Singh 3/64, Harmeet Singh 3/69)
