Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: Buoyed by a thrilling victory in a practice match against formidable United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman will be confident as they launch their Desert T20 International Tournament against the Netherlands in the UAE on Sunday.
The eight-team tournament, being hosted by the Emirates Cricket Board under the auspices of the International Cricket Council (ICC), lasts January 21.
Ahead of their first match of the tournament against the Dutch, Duleep Mendis-coached Oman achieved a morale boosting two-run victory over the hosts.
Besides the result and the way it was achieved, what would have further boosted Sultan Ahmed-skippered team were the individual performances, both in the batting and bowling departments.
While Khurram Nawaz Khan smashed unbeaten 60, Mohammed Nadeem and young Aaqib Ilyas contributed 32 and 30 runs respectively.
Pace bowler Bilal Khan with figures of three for 17 and leg-spinner Zeeshan Maqsood with two for two also contributed to Oman’s victory.
If the team plays a similar kind of positive cricket at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Oman can surely hope to make a winning start in Group B.
In the group stage, Oman are also scheduled to play Hong Kong and Scotland on January 16 and 19 respectively. The semifinals and final are scheduled for January 20.
Afghanistan heads Group A, which also comprises Ireland, Namibia and the hosts UAE.
Scotland win
The tournament kicked off on Saturday with Scotland defeating Hong Kong by 24 runs and Afghanistan overcoming Ireland for a five-wicket victory.
In the first match, Scotland batted first and piled up 189 for three in 20 overs. Then they restricted Hong Kong to 165 for six.
In the second match, Ireland scored 125 for six in 20 overs. Afghanistan then overcame a mid-innings wobble to reach 126 for five in 18.4 overs.
Munis, Amir nominated
Meanwhile, Oman’s spinning all-rounder Amir Ali and pace bowler Munis Ansari have been nominated in ESPNcricinfo’s Associate batting and bowling honours for the year 2016.
Amir Ali, who played a key role in Oman’s historic victory over Ireland in the World T20 preliminary round in India, is nominated in the best batting performances among the Associate teams.
Interestingly, in the five-player list there are three Afghans Mohammad Shahzad for his unbeaten 118 against Zimbabwe (second T20I in Sharjah), Gulbadin Naib for his 82 not out against Zimbabwe (fifth ODI, Sharjah) and Najibullah Zadran for his 48 not out against West Indies (World T20, Nagpur).
There is also one Irish cricketer in the form of Ed Joyce for his unbeaten 160 against Afghanistan (fifth ODI, Belfast).
Amir Ali is meanwhile is nominated for his match-winning 32 against Ireland in a World T20 match played in Dharamsala.
The cricinfo describes his performance as: “One of the most dramatic matches in World T20 history provided perhaps the most shocking result of the 2016 edition, with a bespectacled hero in the middle of it all. Seven batsmen crossed 20 in this contest but none reached 40.
“Amir’s cameo was the most golden of all these little nuggets. Entering at 90 for five, with Oman needing 65 in six overs, Amir’s ambush left Ireland shellshocked. He repeatedly zinged them at the end of an over to negate any early pressure, hitting a six to end the 15th, a four to cap the 16th, then a trio of fours to finish the 17th.
“He was finally dismissed with Oman needing three from two balls, which came courtesy a Max Sorensen no-ball that beat Niall O’Brien behind the stumps to go to the rope for five extras.”
The website described Munis Ansari’s nomination for his three for 37 in the same match against Ireland: “Ansari’s figures might not look special on paper, but the slingy fast bowler’s spell shifted the momentum Oman’s way late in the Ireland innings, to set up the biggest upset of the opening round of the World T20. After conceding 15 runs in a loose first over, Ansari was held back until the death to complete his quota. The strategy was justified when he claimed Niall O’Brien with his first ball back, in the 16th, and then ended the over by yorking Gary Wilson. He also won the battle with Ireland’s power-hitting trump card, flummoxing Kevin O’Brien with a perfectly placed ball in the blockhole in the final over of the innings.”
The other nominees for the bowling honours are Afghanistan’s Amir Hamza for his one wicket for nine runs against West Indies (World T20, Nagpur), Mohammad Nabi for his two for 16 against Bangladesh (second ODI, Mirpur), Paul van Meekeren of the Netherlands for his four for 11 against Ireland (World T20, Dharamsala) and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan for his three for 11 against Zimbabwe (World T20, Nagpur).
