Clinical Scotland outplay Oman

NORTH SOUND, Antigua: Ahead of the match against Scotland, Oman skipper Aqib Ilyas had talked about coming up with an all-round performance and playing as a unit. The Men in Red certainly fell short in all departments of the game against a fired-up Scotland in the Group B match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Sunday.

Oman batters put up their highest score of 150 in the ongoing edition but the bowlers failed to trouble the Scotland batters and the fielding woes continued as they lost by seven wickets with Scotland chasing down the target in just 13.1 overs.

The defeat, marked the third successive loss for Duleep Mendis-coached side, also dashed their hopes of progressing further in the tournament, with their final pool match against defending champions England looming on Thursday (June 13).

It was a clinical all-round display from the Scots to record their second consecutive win and top Group B and eye a spot in the knockout round.

Scotland batters – Brandon McMullen (61*) and George Munsey (41) – tore apart the Oman bowling attack across the picturesque ground in a remarkable display of power hitting.

Sixes rained from their blades, with a total of 11 blows hammered by the Scots as they enhanced their net run-rate (NRR), which could possibly play a big role in the deciding the two teams to progress from the group.

Oman captain Aqib Ilyas opted to bat first on a fresh pitch as this was the first match of the ongoing World Cup to be played in Antigua, hoping to make the maximum use of the conditions.

Oman brought in Naseem Khushi in place of Kashyap Prajapati and along with Pratik Athavale opened the batting. Khushi departed early and Ilyas’ cameo of 16 from six balls, which included two boundaries and a six, ended before the powerplay as Oman hit their highest score in the three matches with 53/2.

Khushi, who hit the first six of the day over the long boundary at extra cover off Chris Sole, was dismissed two balls later, snapped by Mark Watt at short backward square off a miscued ramp.

Experienced Zeeshan Maqsood short visit to the crease and Khalid Kail’s run out derailed the progress of Oman.

There was an incident during Watt’s bowling as he had the ball hit the stumps with Kail signalling he was not ready and the umpire declaring it a dead ball. The Scottish players did protest with the umpire but Kail failed to exploit the escape as he pushed his next ball into the covers, was sent back for a second run by Athavale, and Watt whipped off the bails with an additional sense of vindication.

It was left for Ayaan Khan and Athavale to rebuild the innings as they shared a 43-run partnership before Athavale trying to accelerate departed in the 16th over for a 40-ball 54, an innings studded with five hits to the ropes and two sixes.

Athavale made a first-ball duck in his last outing against Australia but this time he proved to be the mainstay as he reached his fifty from 38 balls.

Ayaan remained unbeaten on 39-ball 41 but with the tail failing to wag for long, Oman were restricted to 150/7.

Oman could reach the total, thanks to Ayaan’s two successive boundaries, and along with Shakeel Ahmed, garnering 15 runs off the last over from Safyaan Sharif, who picked up two wickets in his 200th appearance across formats for his country.

Scotland were off to a flier and made their intentions clear with Michael Jones and George Munsey racing to 21 in three overs before the former was brilliantly caught by Mehran Khan as he backpedalled to take the catch off Bilal Khan. Jones's 16 from 13 included the first two sixes of their chase.

McMullen joined Munsey and the duo took the game away from Oman, as aided by strong cross wind, the batters swung their arms and slammed boundaries at will.

Oman’s cause was not helped by yet another sloppy catching display, including a sitter by Rafiullah at deep midwicket off McMullen and with the star of the day in roaring form, it was a stroll in the park for Scotland after the chance.

By the time Munsey had departed, caught at backward point by Shakeel Ahmad, off Mehran, the damage had been done as the opener had produced a feisty innings of 41 from 20 balls with four sixes and two fours.

He was severe on Ilyas as he twice reverse swept for two back-to-back sixes into the grass banks at the left hander’s backward point in Oman’s seventh over and his first.

With 20 runs coming off the first over after powerplay, Scotland were in control.

Skipper Richie Berrington hit a six and a four in his 13 before his counterpart Ilyas sent him back with a wrong’un. But Matt Cross joined the attacking McMullen to romp towards the line with consecutive sixes of his own, deposited over square leg as Ayaan Khan's only over was launched for 20 in the team’s 13th over to take the team to 149/3 McMullen's sparkling 61 from 31 balls (9x4, 2x6), was capped with the winning boundary through square leg off Bilal Khan off the next ball.

Oman did not find any means to restrict the free-flowing and aggressive batting from the Scots, who sprinted to the final 103 runs of the chase in just 43 balls.

Brief scores: Oman 150/7 (Pratik Athavale 54, Ayaan Khan 41*, Aqib Ilyas 16, Mehran Khan 13, Naseem Khushi 10; Safyaan Sharif 2/40, Brad Wheal 1/19, Chris Greaves 1/2, Chirs Sole 1/41, Mark Watt 1/25) lost to Scotland 153/3 in 13.1 overs (George Munsey 41, Brandon McMullen 61*; Bilal Khan 1/12, Aqib Ilyas 1/41, Mehran Khan 1/16).