Oman achieved a significant milestone in their cricketing history by securing a momentous five-wicket victory over Ireland in the ICC ODI World Cup qualifiers.
In a stunning turn of events, Ireland suffered a surprising five-wicket defeat against Oman in the ICC ODI World Cup qualifiers held at the Bulawayo Athletic Club sports ground in Zimbabwe on Monday.
Oman's comfortable victory was facilitated by noteworthy half-centuries from Kashyap Kumar, Zeeshan Maqsood, and Aquib Ilyas, helping them reach a total of 285/5, surpassing the target by three runs with 11 balls to spare.
Recognising his exceptional all-round performance, Maqsood was honoured with the player of the match award. The 35-year-old contributed a valuable 67-ball 59 with the bat and also took the crucial wicket of Andrew Balbernie.
In the first innings, Ireland had reason to be confident as they managed to score 281/7, thanks to significant contributions from Harry Tector (52 off 82 balls) and an unbeaten 91 from George Dockrell (off 89 balls). Oman had won the toss and elected to bowl.
However, Oman displayed remarkable chase skills, laying a solid foundation with a partnership of 94 runs between Ilyas and Prajapati. Mohammad Nadeem (46*), Ayaan Khan (21), and Shoaib Khan (19*) played crucial roles in achieving the target in style.
In the other matches of the World Cup Qualifiers, Wanindu Hasaranga's exceptional six-wicket spell played a crucial role in Sri Lanka's dominant 175-run victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE). West Indies also cruised through to victory against the USA in their opening game.
