Colombo, Feb 9 (UNI) Zimbabwe registered a commanding eight-wicket victory over Oman in Group B of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup played at the Sinhalese Sports Club here on Monday.
Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe bowlers produced a disciplined and hostile stuff to restrict Oman to 103 all out in 19.5 overs. Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava led the attack with three wickets each, while Brad Evans chipped in with three more. Sikandar Raza also contributed with one wicket, ensuring Oman never gained the momentum.
For Oman, Vinayak Shukla top-scored with 28 off 21 balls, and Sufyan Mehmood added 25. However, the rest of the batting lineup struggled against the incisive Zimbabwean bowling, with several batsmen failing to reach double figures.
Chasing a modest target of 104, Zimbabwe made light work of the total, finishing at 106 for 2 in 13.3 overs. Brian Bennett played a match-defining innings of 48 not out off 36 balls, anchoring the chase alongside Tadiwanashe Marumani, who scored 21. Brendan Taylor contributed 31 before retiring hurt, while Sikandar Raza remained unbeaten on 5.
The standout performance of the match came from Muzarabani and Ngarava’s inspired bowling, which dismantled Oman’s batting, complemented by Bennett’s calm and unbeaten innings, guiding Zimbabwe to a comfortable victory with more than six overs to spare.
With this win, Zimbabwe earned their first points in Group B, showcasing strong allround performance and team depth. Oman, on the other hand, will need to regroup and improve in both batting and bowling departments for their upcoming matches.
Match Officials: Umpires – Asif Yaqoob and Wayne Knights; 3rd Umpire – Ahsan Raza; Match Referee – Richie Richardson.
