Tuesday 22 / October / 2024
Muscat: Assarain finished its Premier Division 50-over League campaign with a resounding 213-run victory against IT Works on Friday and is now sitting on top of the table with the highest 32 points from 10 games, leaving Passage to India (PTI) to win all its remaining three matches, and win them well, to gather 32 points and a better net run rate to be able to upstage the defending champion which has a superior run rate to everyone else in the fray.
Muscat CT is now out of the reckoning with 24 points from 9 games and even if it wins its final match it will still be four points short of Assarain’s 32.
With an eye on Assarain’s NRR of +2.137, PTI has its task cut out to not only win its next games but improve its run rate of +1.360 as well. Two of its remaining three games are against Muscat CT and Al Turki NMC, which may very well mean a rocky ride to the Premier Division title.
Oman stars Muhammed Nadeem and Zeeshan Maqsood bowled exceptionally well to destroy IT Works, dismissing it for a paltry 67 in the 23rd over.
Invited to bat first, Assarain posted a robust 280 for 9 on the board thanks to handsome contributions from Gastav Burger (62), Sanuth Ebrahim (51) and Sindo Michael (45). Waseem Akhtar was the pick of IT Works’ bowlers, taking 6 for 45 whereas Nester Dhamba bagged 2 for 41.
Brief Scores (Premier Division): Assarain 280 for 9 in 50 overs (Gastav Burger 62 – 8x4, 1x6, Sanuth Ebrahim 51 – 4x4, Sindo Michael 45 – 3x4, 2x6. Waseem Akhtar 6-45, Nester Dhamba 2-41) beat IT Works 67 all out in 22.4 overs (Jahanzeb Asghar 12 – 2x4. Muhammed Nadeem 5-23, Zeeshan Maqsood 3-21) by 213 runs.
Verma ton powers AER to victory
Young Rishabh Verma struck a superb 106 off 91 to power AER to a huge 166-run win over OCT Muscat in an A Division match at OC Turf 2 in Amerat on Friday.
Verma hit 13 fours and a six in his vital knock that lifted his side’s total to 314 for 7 in 50 overs that included Danish Mohammed’s fluent 56 too. Ali Akbar bagged 3 for 49.
OCT Muscat Failed to mount a serios challenge, folding up for a dismal 148 in the 38th over. Mohsin Al Balushi topscored with 41 off 64. Mohammed Nooran was the leading AER bowler, taking 3 for 47 while Imran Rijvi and Sajeed Ahmed took two wickets each.
Brief Scores (A Division): AER 314 for 7 in 50 overs (Rishabh Verma 106 – 13x4, 1x6, Danish Mohammad 56 – 5x4, 1x6, Ali Akbar 3-49) beat OCT Muscat 148 all out in 37.1 overs (Mohsin Al Balushi 41 – 5x4, Munthir Al Balushi 29 – 4x4, 1x6, Mohammed Nooran 3-47, Imran Rijvi 2-7, Sajeed Ahmed 2-25) by 166 runs.
