Many things had to go England’s way if they were to resurrect their chances of qualifying for the Super 8 stage of the ICC World T20. One of them was to beat their next opponent in line Oman in a comprehensive fashion. Which is exactly what the Three Lions managed. Blowing away the minnows in 10 overs and then getting to the target in just over three overs.
A must-win game for England, who are hoping that other results in the group go away. And England did what they had to. The current World T20 champions wasted no time in drowning the inexperienced Asian team on the world stage.
England Bowlers Enter the Party Against Oman
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Having won the toss and choosing to bowl, England would have had one thing in mind. Restrict the opposition to a lower total as possible and then get them runs in a quick time. And that is exactly what happened. Archer and Wood ripped through the Oman top order. The minnows looked clueless against the pace and guile of the English paceman.
Jofra Archer’s inclusion now appears critical. And his performance on the day was what the selectors were hoping. Admittedly this is not the best batting lineup in the world but they had a job to do and they did. Once the Oman top order was knocked over then it was down to the spinner Adil Rashid to mop up the tail. With Wood and Archer in support. It was an all-around solid bowling performance.
Chasing 47 in No Time
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Winning the game was not enough. England, having lost a game and a point down due to the abandoned game against Scotland had to win convincingly. And this is what they proceeded to do. Openers Phil Salt and Jos Bulter set off on a rollicking start blasting the Oman bowlers to all parts. Salt was dismissed for 12 off 3 after smashing 2 sixes. Will Jacks missed out but captain Jos Bulter finished the job with 24 off 8.
Having bundled out Oman for the 4th lowest in World T20s, the game was all but over when the English openers came out to bat. The question was how quickly will they surpass the score. And surpass it they did in 3.1 overs. This is good news for England, who have problems with the net run rate with lost points in the abandoned game against Scotland. And now it is a question of wait and see until their next game against Namibia.
Oman – A Tough Lesson in the Big Stage
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For the team from the Middle East, this was a tough outing. England, whilst not playing their best did not mess around in this game. One could say that this was a baptism of fire for the new team but this sort of thing is bound to happen in international cricket. And going up against the current World T20 Champions in a crunch game something was going to give.
Going forward, it is up to the Oman team to pick themselves up and stay focused on the future. Their campaign is now clearly over. And it is time to rebuild for the next big competition. Much of their focus needs to be on the mental side. Except one of the Oman players reached double figures. This is something to work on.
