Nikhil Dutta hits out (ICC photo)
Canada recorded a comfortable 83 run win over an up and coming Oman side in the WCL Division 3 tournament today. Both teams won their opening matches, Oman beating USA and Canada, Uganda. Oman put Canada in but a strong team batting performance saw Canada reach 274/9 from their fifty overs. Seven batsman passed thirty, with Bhavindu Adhihetty top scoring with 44, Rizwan Cheema smashing 42 from 25 balls, and Nikhil Dutta, batting at 8, making 41 from 34 balls. Satsimranjit Dhindsa took three wickets, and Nikhil Dutta and Rizwan Cheema two each, as a strong bowling performance saw Oman dismissed for 191. Canada top the standings with a 2-0 record, ahead of four teams with a win and a loss.
Oman won the toss and put Canada in. The Canadian team is unchanged from the win over Uganda, and Nitish Kumar and Bhavindu Adhihetty opened the batting, putting together a 77 run opening partnership before Kumar (33) was stumped from a wide in the 17th over. Adhihetty was bowled for 44 – 90/2 after 20 overs, both wickets falling to the experienced off-spinner Amir Ali. Pathirana made 24 from 22 balls – a contrast from his patient innings yesterday but failed to build on his good start, Canada losing their third wicket on 119 after 25 overs. Jimmy Hansra made just one, as Canada’s middle order again proved fragile. Saad Bin Zafar somewhat surprisingly came in at 6 – he was listed at 10 in yesterday’s match, and only batted once on the Zimbabwe tour. He made a useful contribution, 17 in 26 balls but was then trapped in front – bringing in yesterday’s hero, Rizwan Cheema. He showed his intent right away, dispatching his third ball for six. Dhaliwal’s patient innings came to an end when he was run out – 179/6 with 11 overs to go. Cheema slammed 42 from 25 balls, taking the score past 200 before he was caught. Canada showed its depth in batting as Nikhil Dutta and Hamza Tariq kept up the momentum with a useful 8th wicket partnership of 74, taking Canada to 274/9 from their fifty overs. Dutta made 41 from 34 balls, and Hamza Tariq 34 from 22.
Oman were immediately in trouble as Khawar Ali was brilliantly run out from the 2nd ball of the innings. Dhindsa struck an important blow when he bowled Aqib Illyas (who was top-scorer in Oman’s win over the USA) in the third over, reducing Oman to 13/2. Kumar persisted with the faster bowlers, and this paid off when Cecil Pervez had Poulose leg before – 38/3. The introduction of spin resulted in the fourth wicket, Mohammed Nadeem caught behind off Nikhil Dutta, 57/4. Zeeshan Maqsood kept Oman in the hunt with 62, take Oman past three figures before Dhindsa had him caught behind- 103/5 from 22 overs. At the half-way point, Oman were up with the run rate on 138/5, but two wickets in an over from Rizwan Cheema left them with a challenging task. Kumar and Dutta chipped in as wickets continued to fall, and with fifteen overs left Oman needed 102 runs with just one wicket left. Dhindsa polished off the innings, and Oman were all out for 191.
CricInfo scorecard – Video highlights from ICC – Nitish Kumar video interview
In other matches, the USA had a big win, bowling out Malaysia for 117 and knocking off the runs with 22 overs to spare, helping their net run rate considerably.
Uganda beat Singapore by 66 runs – they made 217/9 in 50 overs, and bowled out Singapore for 151.