ANI
Bulawayo
Three half-centuries from Aqib Ilyas, Shoaib Khan and Mohammad Nadeem helped Oman clinch their second successive victory in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 qualifier match against UAE by five wickets in Bulawayo on Wednesday.
Junaid Siddique’s twin strikes in the fifth over provided the perfect start to UAE. The dangerous duo of Kashyap Prajapati (6) and Jatinder Singh (2) was sent back into the hut.
Chasing a modest target of 228, Oman needed batters who could hold the innings while seeing off the new ball. Aqib Ilyas and Shoaib Khan came together to deliver for the Gulf side.
They batted carefully over the next 10 overs, getting Oman to 42/2 in the first 15 overs before going for their shots. They went about six an over between overs 16-25 and got Oman to 101.
However, Oman lost the duo as soon as they had added 100 runs for the third wicket. Aqib (53) was bowled by Rohan Mustafa in the 27th over, and Shoaib Khan retired hurt at the end of that very over.
The arrival of two new batters was UAE’s ticket into the contest. The Emirati side was further buoyed by the dismissal of skipper Zeeshan Maqsood (1) in the 30th over. The Oman skipper fell leg before to Mustafa’s off-spin.
Effectively five down, Oman chose the attacking route. Mohammad Nadeem and Ayaan Khan brought up their fifty-run stand off merely 47 balls. As the required rate came closer to four, the UAE side began to lose their spirit in the field.
UAE got a breakthrough in the 43rd over when Aayan Khan dismissed Ayaan for 41. But this brought Shoaib Khan, who had recovered from his injury, back to the crease. He helped Oman get over the line with Nadeem’s (50*) help, while also getting to his half-century.
Oman ended at 228/5 in 46 overs. Junaid Siddique, Rohan Mustafa (2/31) each were the pick of the bowlers for UAE.
During the UAE innings, an 87-run stand for the third wicket between Vriitya Aravind (49) and Rameez Shahzad (38) and an aggressive fifty by teenager Aayan Afzal Khan (58*), helped UAE to 227/8 in their 50 overs.
Probing new-ball spells from Bilal Khan and Fayyaz Butt, gave Oman early advantage against their Gulf rivals.
Oman is at the top of Group B point table with two wins in two matches and a total of four points.
On the other hand, UAE are at the bottom with two losses in two games, with zero points.
