Nepal play Oman on Friday in their second match of the ICC World Cricket League Division II being played in Namibia. While Nepal head into the game with a narrow win against the home side, the World Cricket League Division III winners Oman, come to the match following a big defeat at the hands of the Canadians.
Although the results of the first day provide a starting point for analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the sides, they cannot lead to an inference that the Oman-Nepal match will be a one-sided fixture.
In 2015, during Nepal’s tour of the UAE, Oman beat the Rhinos by 3 wickets. Batting first, Nepal could only put up 184 runs on the board before losing all its wickets. Riding on Zeeshan Maqsood’s 52 Oman chased down the score in 48.1 overs. In addition to this, Oman have prepared well in South Africa for the tournament.
Just a few weeks ago, they beat Pretoria’s Titans Academy by 165 runs. The team, under head coach Duleep Mendis, had amassed 303 for nine in the allotted 50 overs. Oman’s batsmen Baibhav Wategaonkar and Swapnil Khadye were in top form ahead of the tournament, although they couldn’t contribute to the Oman cause against Canada. Twenty-five-year-old Pakistan-born Aqib Ilyas has also shown signs of form with his 46 off 32 balls against Canada. His wicket will be crucial for Nepal.
The first day matches in Namibia have shown that spinners will play a crucial role in the tournament. Oman’s spinners Jay Odedara Maqsood and Khawar Ali pose a potent threat to Nepal. Twenty-nine-year-old Bilal and left-handed pacer Bilal Khan also could have his hands full against Nepal, against whom he claimed four wickets in the 2015 match.
Although Nepal look the better side on paper, especially with wins against Kenya and the Netherlands in Division I, Oman are well capable of pulling a surprise.
