Australia 164 for 5 (Stoinis 67*, Warner 56, Mehran 2-38) beat Oman 125 for 9 (Ayaan 36, Stoinis 3-19) for 39 runs
When Glenn Maxwell fell for a golden duck, continuing his terrific batting run, they were 50 for 3 and thoughts turned briefly to what could have been but Stoinis and Warner added 102 from 64 balls to ensure Australia did not stumble at the start of the bid. theirs. ICC trophies in all three formats.
Oman’s season(s) to remember
For more than half of Australia’s innings, the game was far from one-way traffic. The batting was tough in the critical area and after the powerplay the total was 37 for 1 – Australia’s lowest in their last 15 T20Is since the last T20 World Cup. Head produced one well-timed cover drive early on but timing was a tough task for him with Warner and Head picking mid-game trying to revive Bilal Khan’s spirit after his Super Over disappointment against Namibia.
Stoinis survived the ball hat-trick but the pressure was not taken off Australia. After ten overs they were 56 for 3 and the next two overs yielded only seven runs. Warner started to break the chains with back-to-back boundaries from Zeeshan Maqsood, but then it was a matter of what could have been for Oman.
On 9, Stoinis edged Ilyas’ delivery with wicketkeeper Pratik Athavale unable to collect it – it was difficult but not impossible. Two balls into the next over from Mehran, Ayaan Khan undoubtedly paid the price for not being on the line for too long when he took a good delivery, but he couldn’t stop his momentum going back to the boundary.
This was the first of four sixes hit by Stoinis in the over and from there he was gone, bringing up his century in 27 balls. Australia’s first 14 overs yielded 80 runs; the last six brought 84.
Professional Australia has closed
The target of 165 was always more than Oman. Starc’s opening was a mixed bag but he pinned Athavale lbw when a full toss was bowled on the toe, though Australia needed DRS to get the lbw decision. Oman were then thankful for a review when Ilyas was given out lbw to Starc but even a fielding call from Joel Wilson looked poor.
Ilyas bowled Stoinis to deep square leg but two balls later he lifted a delivery to Matthew Wade. Stoinis became only the third player, after Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo, to score a fifty and take three wickets in a men’s T20 World Cup match. However, Oman were not completely outdone as Ayaan provided a couple of defiant moments hitting two sixes off Adam Zampa and Mehran ensured they could cross 100 and finish the innings.
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