Oman makes it two in two with comfortable win over UAE. Ilyas, Shoaib and Nadeem score fifties to anchor the chase; UAE still searching for their first win.
Oman continued their winning streak in the World Cup Qualifier group stage with a strong performance, combining disciplined bowling with confident batting to secure their second consecutive victory. Jay Odedra, Bilal Khan, and Fayyaz Butt played pivotal roles in limiting UAE to 227 runs. Oman’s response featured half-centuries from Aqib Ilyas, Shoaib Khan, and Mohammad Nadeem, along with a crucial contribution from Ayaan Khan, ultimately leading to their triumph with four overs to spare.
Ilyas and Shoaib shared a 100-run partnership for the third wicket during Oman’s chase. However, within a brief three-over period, Rohan Mustafa dismissed Ilyas and Zeeshan Maqsood while Shoaib, dealing with cramps, had to leave the field.
Nonetheless, Ayaan and Mohammad Nadeem ensured UAE couldn’t regain control, as they added 76 runs at a run-a-ball pace, effectively sealing the game. Shoaib later returned to the crease and saw the match through.
Oman made an ideal start after winning the toss and choosing to bowl. Bilal trapped UAE captain Muhammad Waseem lbw in the third over, and Butt had Mustafa caught down the leg side in the next over.
Vriitya Aravind and Rameez Shahzad then built a partnership of 87 runs for UAE. Aravind started aggressively, scoring 11 runs off Butt in the sixth over, but his pace slowed down afterward, managing only one more boundary.
Shahzad, on the other hand, started slowly, taking ten deliveries to open his account. It wasn’t until the sixteenth over that he picked up the pace, hitting Mohammad Nadeem for four through midwicket and following it with a boundary down the ground. Shahzad also cut Odedra for four behind point in the 25th over.
However, Odedra’s sharp spinning delivery in the 46th over found Aravind one run short of a half-century, and four overs later, he dismissed Shahzad with another well-aimed delivery.
Basil Hameed then gave a straightforward catch at point off Ayaan Khan before Odedra dismissed Ali Naseer with an excellent delivery that spun past the outside edge.
Asif Khan, who had struggled until then, started accelerating, taking on Odedra with a six over long-on and a four over cover. With Asif acting as the aggressor, Aayan Afzal Khan kept one end secure, scoring just three off 15 balls during their 20-run partnership before Butt had Asif caught at cover in the 40th over.
With seven wickets down and the score at 154, UAE was in danger of being bowled out for less than 200. However, Ayaan began launching an assault on the bowlers. He hit Bilal for a one-bounce four over midwicket in the 41st over and took Butt for three consecutive fours in the next over. He also hit Maqsood for consecutive boundaries and reached his half-century in the final over, finishing unbeaten on 58.
UAE had a promising start with the ball as well. Junaid Siddique and Ali Naseer opened with maidens, creating pressure on the Oman openers in the fifth over.
Kashyap Prajapati attempted to cut a short and wide delivery from Siddique but only managed to edge it to Hameed at slip. In the same over’s last ball, Jatinder Singh attempted to cut another short and wide ball but ended up giving a catch to Karthik Meiyappan at point.
Ilyas and Shoaib then took control of the game, attacking Meiyappan, Aayan, and Zahoor Khan. They appeared to be in complete command until Mustafa dismissed Ilyas with a spinning delivery that beat his attempted cut.
Shoaib, suffering from cramps, and Maqsood’s quick exits lifted UAE’s spirits, but Ayaan and Nadeem extinguished any hopes of a comeback.
Ayaan played the role of the aggressor, reaching 41 off 36 balls, while Nadeem remained steady, rotating the strike. Ayaan’s departure, caught at midwicket off Aayan, left Oman firmly in control, and Shoaib returned to the crease, ultimately achieving his half-century. Nadeem secured the win, reaching his fifty with a single to deep third as UAE suffered their second consecutive defeat in the tournament.
Brief Score: Oman 228 for 5 (Ilyas 53, Shoaib 52*, Nadeem 50*, Siddique 2-31) beat UAE 227 for 8 (Aayan 58*, Aravind 49, Odedra 3-31, Bilal 2-46) by five wickets.
Man of the Match: Shoaib Khan
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