Australia has outclassed Oman in its opening match of the T20 World Cup, toppling the associate nation by 39 runs in Bridgetown on Thursday morning AEST.
Chasing a 165-run target for victory in the Barbados capital, Oman limped towards 9-125 after Australia’s world-class bowling attack wreaked havoc on the dry surface at Kensington Oval.
All-rounder Marcus Stoinis contributed with bat and ball, becoming just the third cricketer to score a half-century and take three wickets in a T20 World Cup match, while Australia will be sweating on the fitness of Mitchell Starc after the speedster left the field with a sore calf during the run chase.
“There was no need to take unnecessary risks at this stage of the tournament,” Australian captain Mitchell Marsh said after the win.
“He said he’s fine, just a cramp for the old boy.
“He wanted to finish off (his over) but when you look at the World Cup as a whole we’ve got a few games to go.”
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs Oman, T20 World Cup scorecard
Earlier, Australia posted 5-164 after Oman captain Aqib Ilyas won the toss and chose to bowl first courtesy of fifties from veteran opener David Warner and Stoinis. Warner anchored the Australian innings with a gritty 56 (51) before Stoinis blasted six sixes on his way towards 67* (36), the second-highest score of his T20I career.
Travis Head was Australia’s lone victim during the Powerplay, slapping a wide delivery from left-armer Bilal Khan towards mid-off for 12 (10) before Oman seamer Mehran Khan ripped the heart out of the middle order by removing rival skipper Marsh and Glenn Maxwell in consecutive deliveries. Marsh holed out to long-off for 14 (21) before Ilyas held onto a screamer at cover to send Maxwell back to the sheds for a golden duck.
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There were some nervous faces in the Australian dressing room at 3-50 in the ninth over, but Warner and Stoinis steadied the ship with a 102-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Stoinis, dropped by Oman wicketkeeper Pratik Athavale on 7, released the shackles in the 15th over by clobbering a quartet of sixes against Mehran, shifting momentum firmly back in Australia’s favour.
The West Australian brought up his third T20I half-century with a six over deep mid-wicket, passing the minor milestone in 27 deliveries. Warner, who leapfrogged former captain Aaron Finch to become Australia’s leading run-scorer in men’s T20Is, followed suit a few minutes later, needing 46 deliveries to reach his fifty.
Oman quick Kaleemullah broke the century stand in the penultimate over when Warner picked out Khan at long-off before Kashyap Prajapati dropped a regulation outfield catch to hand Tim David an early reprieve on 4.
Warner caught up in comical mix-up! | 00:36
Starc only needed three deliveries to snare Australia’s first breakthrough of the run chase, trapping Oman opener Pratik Athavale on the pads with an inswinging yorker for a golden duck.
Head and Warner missed run-out chances before Tasmanian seamer Nathan Ellis, who replaced Test captain Pat Cummins in the starting XI, dismissed Kashyap Prajapati LBW for 7. Oman was suddenly reeling at 4-34 when Stoinis toppled Ilyas and Zeeshan Maqsood in quick succession, both edging behind to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.
The match result was a forgone conclusion when Starc returned to the attack and knocked over Khalid Kail, caught at deep point by Maxwell for 8, while leg-spinner Adam Zampa snared his 300th T20 wicket by bowling Shoaib Khan for a duck.
Despite some late fireworks from Ayaan Khan (36 from 30 balls) and Mehran Khan (27 from 16 balls), Oman fell comfortably short of the target with David holding onto an impressive juggling catch near the boundary rope in the penultimate over. Zampa, Ellis and Starc each finished with two wickets, while Stoinis claimed 3-19 from three overs.
Australia will next face England at the same venue on Sunday morning, with the first ball scheduled for 3am AEST.
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