Oman fall short in thriller but return home proud after successful USA tour
MUSCAT: Oman narrowly missed out on a perfect tour finish after falling just nine runs short against hosts USA in a high-octane match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, USA, on Tuesday.
Despite the narrow loss, Duleep Mendis' men can take pride in a hugely successful campaign, winning three out of four matches to consolidate their overall third place in the League 2 standings with 24 points — just behind leaders USA (28) and second-placed Netherlands (26). All three teams have played 20 games each.
Scotland are fourth with 20 points from 16 games, followed by Canada (20 from 20), Namibia (14 from 20), UAE (6 from 16), and Nepal (6 from 12).
On Tuesday, chasing a formidable target of 294 after the hosts posted 293/8, Oman staged a spirited fight led by a blistering 72 off 51 balls from all-rounder Sufyan Mehmood. However, USA held their nerve in the closing overs to clinch a nail-biting victory, restricting Oman to 284/9.
Mehmood's late counterattack, featuring five boundaries and three sixes, nearly pulled off a sensational heist. He was well supported by Vinayak Shukla (46 off 37) and Hammad Mirza (50 off 52). But wickets fell at regular intervals, and Mehmood's dismissal in the 48th over at 273 proved pivotal.
Earlier, USA rode on a steady team performance to post a strong total. Saiteja Mukkamalla top-scored with a fluent 73 off 79 deliveries, while Harmeet Singh was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution — 33 off 36 balls and a crucial bowling spell of 3/69.
Key contributions also came from openers Smit Patel (41) and Shayan Jahangir (37), with Sanjay Krishnamurthi providing a late flourish through a rapid unbeaten 40 off 27 balls.
Oman's bowlers shared the workload: Mehmood (3/58), Aamir Kaleem (2/43), and Shakeel Ahmed (2/52) were among the wickets. Despite disciplined efforts, the USA batters paced their innings well, accelerating at the death to push the total just beyond reach.
In response, Oman lost Aamir Kaleem early but skipper Jatinder Singh (42) provided a solid platform.
The middle-order trio of Mirza, Shukla and Mehmood revived the chase, and with 21 needed off the last two overs and two wickets in hand, Oman still had a shot. But Jasdeep Singh (3/64) and Harmeet Singh ensured USA finished on top.
Although Oman missed out on a perfect four-win record, the team captained by Jatinder, return home with their heads held high. The tour was a strong statement of their consistency and growing strength in the 50-over format.
Brief scores: USA 293/8 (Smit Patel 41, Shayan Jahangir 37, Saiteja Mukkamalla 73, Sanjay Krishnamurthi 40*, Harmeet Singh 33; Sufyan Mehmood 3/58, Shakeel Ahmed 2/52, Aamir Kaleem 2/43) beat Oman 284/9 (Jatinder Singh 42, Hammad Mirza 50, Vinayak Shukla 46, Sufyan Mehmood 72; Jasdeep Singh 3/64, Harmeet Singh 3/69)
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