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BRIDGETOWN: There was drama until the top, and few would have imagined a match script swinging like a pendulum from one aspect to a different. From the depths of despair to a near-delight for Oman, the opening Group B sport between Oman and Namibia within the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup on the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown will go down as one of many early thrillers of the 2024 version.
In a match the place each the groups scored a paltry 109 every to tie and drive a Tremendous Over, Namibia rode an all-round efficiency by their star David Wiese to scrape house however not earlier than Oman produced one of many memorable fightbacks within the T20 World Cup.
It has been 12 years for the reason that T20 World Cup witnessed a Tremendous Over, the final was when West Indies beat New Zealand in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on October 1, 2012.
The combating spirit from Duleep Mendis-coached Oman will definitely be an enormous optimistic the group will take alongside as they proceed their marketing campaign within the World Cup. Not solely did they apply brakes on the Namibian batters within the chase, a sensational remaining over from Mehran Khan noticed Oman tie with Namibia because the latter had been restricted to 109/6. Needing 5 of the ultimate over, Mehran conceded simply 4 to take the match right into a Tremendous Over.
Nonetheless, Namibia’s star all-rounder David Wiese dug in all his experiences as a number one franchise participant, to energy his group to victory within the one-over eliminator and earn two factors.
Wiese and skipper Gerhard Erasmus hammered Oman’s principal tempo spearhead Bilal Khan within the Tremendous Over for 3 boundaries and a most as they posted 21 runs. Wiese adopted up his batting heroics with a tidy spell to limit Oman to simply ten runs and claimed the wicket of Naseem Khushi.
The Tremendous Over started with a basic cowl drive by Wiese off the primary ball from Bilal and he capitalised on a full toss off the following for a most over lengthy on to set the tone. Erasmus slammed two successive boundaries to steer his group to 21.
Wiese’s bowling spell ensured that Oman couldn’t repeat the comeback that they had orchestrated couple of minutes again on the magical spell from Mehran Khan, who defended 5 runs off the final over.
Earlier, Oman put up an under-par rating however Aqib Ilyas, main Oman for the primary time within the T20World Cup, marshalled his skillful bowlers efficiently to place a squeeze on Namibian batters. Had it not been for the butterfingers of Oman fielders, the Males in Crimson may have even pulled off a heist as Namibia’s top-scorer, Jan Frylinck, who scored 45, was dropped twice whereas Nikolaas Davin, the opening batter, additionally was dropped earlier than he departed for twenty-four.
Namibia discovered the chase difficult and introduced it all the way down to 18 off the final three overs with Frylinck on the crease until the final over.
Magical Mehran
Mehran, the 37-year-old skilled medium pacer, who made a comeback to the nationwide group earlier this 12 months after 2019, got here up with an inspiring spell to carry again Oman from the jaws of defeat to the brink of victory. He began the 18th over with 4 byes, however then had JJ Smit caught at long-on earlier than bowling three dots on the trot to the damaging Wiese.
A six from Wiese within the nineteenth over, helped carry the equation to 5 off the ultimate over.
Mehran was given the accountability to defend. He bowled Frylinck off the very first ball and adopted it up with a dot ball. On his third supply, he trapped Zane Inexperienced leg earlier than, who tried an bold leg-side scoop. New batter Malan Kruger took a single and acquired Wiese on strike with 4 wanted off two. Wiese was capable of get solely two off the penultimate ball and Mehran’s remaining ball was missed by Wiese however wicketkeeper Naseem Khushi, who was standing up the stumps, fumbled because the Namibia pair scrambled for a single bye. Regardless of Khushi’s try to hit the stumps with a reverse throw it missed the stumps. Had the throw hit the wickets, Oman might have recorded probably the most thrilling wins. Mehran completed with figures of 3-1-7-3.
Trumpelmann rips by way of
Trumpelmann’s three-wicket spell in his first two overs set the tone of Namibia’s dominance within the sport. Kashyap Prajapati was leg earlier than off the primary ball and Ilyas returned to pavilion off the following ball. The left-arm pacer then despatched again Naseem Khushi in his second over to have Oman reeling at 10/3. Former captain Zeeshan Maqsood and Khalid Kail took the group previous the powerplay at 36/3 with a counterattack however Maqsood departed within the subsequent over after powerplay, as left-arm spinner Bernard Scholz trapped him lbw within the seventh over.
With the spinners Scholz and Erasmus working in tandem, Oman batters Kail and Ayaan Khan failed to interrupt the shackles as they managed simply 5 runs from the 2 overs after the powerplay. Ayaan Khan then gave cost to Scholz, hitting him for Oman’s first six of the innings earlier than Kail began the tenth over with a 4 off Erasmus.
Namibia bowlers’ tight spell meant Oman didn’t hit any boundaries for 44 deliveries and with strain mounting Oman misplaced two extra wickets.
Ayaan was caught at long-off off Erasmus and he then trapped Mohammad Nadeem in entrance in his subsequent over. Mehran and Shakeel Ahmed hit a few boundaries to take Oman previous 100-mark earlier than Wiese completed the ultimate over with two wickets as they had been bowled out in 19.4 overs
Bilal Khan gave Oman a dream begin with a breakthrough when Michael van Lingen acquired an inside edge onto the stumps off an outswinger off the second ball of the opening over. Namibia had been sedate in powerplay as they crawled to 32/1.
Ilyas, together with Shakeel Ahmed, Maqsood, Kaleemullah, Ayaan and Mehran, gave nothing to Namibian batters with Ilyas starting his spell with a maiden. Namibia may have been two down within the eighth over however for Mehran dropping a catch from Davin off his personal bowling within the eighth over.
Frylinck and Erasmus tried to regular Namibia, though Oman had an opportunity to interrupt the partnership, just for one other caught-and-bowled likelihood to go down when Ilyas gave Frylinck a life within the eleventh over when he was on 21. Two overs later, Frylinck was given one other reprieve, on 24, when he was dropped at deep midwicket by Kail.
With the match determined in a Tremendous Over, Oman are left to rue the missed probabilities.
Namibia 109 for six (Frylinck 45, Mehran 3-7, Ilyas 1-17) beat Oman 109 (Kail 34, Trumpelmann 4-21, Wiese 3-28) by way of Tremendous Over. Tremendous Over Namibia 21 beat Oman 10.
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