Australia kicked off their T20 World Cup campaign with a convincing 39-run victory over Oman in a Group B match played at Perth Stadium on Wednesday.
Electing to bat first, Australia posted a competitive total of 164 runs on the board, losing five wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Marcus Stoinis top-scored for the Aussies with an unbeaten knock of 67 runs off just 36 deliveries, while David Warner chipped in with a valuable 56 off 51 balls.
Oman’s bowlers did well to restrict the flow of runs at times, with Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, and Mehran Khan each claiming a wicket apiece. However, Stoinis’ late flourish ensured Australia had a strong total to defend.
In reply, Oman’s batting line-up faltered in their chase of 165 for victory. Ayan Khan (36 runs) and Mehran Khan (27 runs) were the only batsmen to get starts for the Omanis, as the Australian bowlers shared the spoils with disciplined bowling.
Marcus Stoinis was the pick of the Australian bowlers, scalping three wickets for just 19 runs in his three overs. Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa also chipped in with two wickets each to restrict Oman to a total of 125 runs.
With this victory, Australia has gotten their T20 World Cup campaign off to a winning start. They will now look to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches in the tournament.
Here are some of the key players from the match:
- Marcus Stoinis (Australia): 67* runs (36 balls), 3 wickets (3 overs)
- David Warner (Australia): 56 runs (51 balls)
- Ayan Khan (Oman): 36 runs (30 balls)
- Mehran Khan (Oman): 27 runs (16 balls), 2 wickets (4 overs)
