T20 World Cup 2024
England thrash Oman to stay alive in T20 World Cup
|| CF DESK ||
Reigning champions England won their first match of the T20 World Cup as they hammered Oman by eight wickets in a Group B clash in Antigua on Thursday.
After dismissing Oman for just 47, England finished on 50-2 in a mere 3.1 overs to bolster their net run-rate which could yet prove decisive in their bid to qualify for the second-round Super Eights.
Oman had no answer to England's combination of spin and pace, with leg-break bowler Adil Rashid taking 4-11 from his four overs, while express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood both had figures of 3-12.
Number seven Shoaib Khan (11) was the only Oman batsman to reach double figures in an innings that was wrapped up with nearly seven overs remaining.
The already-eliminated Oman just scraped past the lowest completed score at any T20 World Cup of 39, posted by fellow-non Test nation Uganda against co-hosts West Indies in Guyana last week, after England skipper Buttler won the toss.
Archer did the early damage with 2-12 in nine balls.
Oman, playing their last game of the tournament after an agonising Super Over loss to Namibia was followed by heavy defeats against Australia and Scotland, then lost two wickets in Wood's first over of the match.
Wood caught and bowled Zeeshan Maqsood with his first delivery of the game and five balls later dismissed Kashyap Prajapati to leave Oman floundering at 25-4 come the end of the six-over powerplay.
The very next delivery wicketkeeper Buttler luckily removed the bails at the second attempt to stump Khalid Kail off Rashid's first ball Thursday.
Wood then had his 50th wicket in T20 international cricket when Ayaan Khan played on for one as wickets continued to tumble.