Cricket: Oman fail to make positive start in Desert T20

Muscat: Oman failed to make a winning start in the Desert T20 International Tournament in the UAE as they lost their opening Group B encounter to the Netherlands on Sunday.
Batting first, Duleep Mendis-coached Oman managed to put up 146 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs.
While opening batsman Zeeshan Maqsood was the top scorer with 34 runs, Khurram Nawaz scored an unbeaten 26 and Naseem Khushi contributed 25 runs.
However, Oman failed to defend the competitive total despite Bilal Khan’s two-wicket opening burst that reduced the Dutch to four for two wickets in the very first over.
The Netherlands kept their cool achieve their target in 19.2 overs scoring 148 for five wickets.
Wesley Barresi top scored with 48 runs and experienced Michael Rippon made 40 while Roelof van Merwe remained not out on 35.
Oman play their next against Hong Kong on Monday.

SCOREBOARD
OMAN
Arun Poulose c Cooper b van Meekeren 9
Zeeshan Maqsood run out 34
Aaqib Ilyas c Ahsan Malik b van der Gugten 4
Khawar Ali st Barresi b Rippon 17
Ajay Lalcheta run out 13
Khurram Nawaz (not out) 26
Sultan Ahmed lbw van der Merwe 1
Naseem Khushi c Borren b Ahsan Malik 25
Extras (b-1, lb-8, w-7, nb-1) 17
Total (7 wkts; 20 overs) 146
Did not bat: Bilal Khan, Kaleemullah, Mohammed Nadeem
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-29, 3-53, 4-83, 5-88, 6-89, 7-146.
Bowling: MP O’Dowd 2-0-14-0 (w-2); T. van der Gugten 3-0-28-1 (w-1); PA van Meekeren 4-0- 21-1 (nb-1, w-1); Ahsan Malik 3-0-34-1 (w-2); MJG Rippon 4-0-15-1l; RE van der Merwe 4-0-25-1.
THE NETHERLANDS
SJ Myburgh b Bilal Khan 4
MJG Rippon c Aaqib Ilyas b Kaleemullah 40
BN Cooper c Sultan Ahmed b Bilal Khan 0
W. Barresi b Mohammad Nadeem 48
RE van der Merwe (not out) 35
PW Borren c Sultan Ahmed b Mohammad Nadeem 5
MP O’Dowd (not out) 9
Extras (lb-3, w-3, nb-1) 7
Total (5 wkts, 19.2 overs) 148
Did not bat: Ahsan Malik, PA van Meekeren, T van der Gugten, PM Seelaar
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-97, 4-101, 5-129.
Bowling: Bilal Khan 3.2-0-33-2 (nb-1, w-1); Kaleemullah 4-0-33-1 (w-2); Ajay Lalcheta 2 -0-23-0; Mohammad Nadeem 4-0-24-2; Zeeshan Maqsood 4-0-18-0; Khawar Ali 2-0-14-0.