Marcus Stoinis' half-century and three-wicket haul steered Australia to a 39-run win over Oman in their opening ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 match here at Kensington Oval on Thursday (as per IST).
After being asked to bat first, Australia had a slow start with Travis Head (12) losing his wicket in the third over of the powerplay as Bilal Khan got the eary breakthrough.
Aussie skipper Mitchell Marsh and David Warner stitched a 37-run partnership for the second wicket before Mehran Khan gave the second blow to the opponents, dismissing Marsh for 14 off 21. On the next ball, Merhan got rid off Glenn Maxwell on a golden duck as Oman captain Aqib Ilyas took a stunning catch at covers.
Struggling Aussies
Australia were reeling at 50/3 in 8.3 overs. However, Warner stayed firm at the other end and kept the scoreboard moving. Came to bat at no. 5, Stoinis joined Warner in the middle and the duo played aggressively to surge the scoring rate.
The right-handed batter took Oman bowlers to the cleaners as Warner held the other end strong. Warner upped the ante in the 13th over, scoring back-to-back fours, which also gave his partner a big confidence boost. Stoinis unloaded four maximums in the 15th over off Mehran's bowling, to again change the complexion of the innings.
He brought up 50 off just 27 balls, before Warner joined him in the milestone club, playing a more anchoring role. Warner departed in the 19th over, soon after his half-century, scoring 56 off 51 balls. Stoinis remained unbeaten, compiling 67 off 36, as Australia set a total of 164/5 – Tim David (9 off 4 balls) was run out on the final ball of the innings.
Starc Set The Tone
In the bowling, Mitchell Starc set the tone early by swinging the new ball, claiming Prathik Athavale (0) in the very first over.
Despite a resilient effort from Oman's top order, Australian bowlers continued to strike at regular intervals. Pat Cummins' replacement, Nathan Ellis, made an impact with a breakthrough wicket, while Stoinis chipped in with crucial dismissals including Oman skipper Ilyas (18).
Oman, although resilient, could only manage to score 125/9 in their 20 overs, falling short by 39 runs. All-rounder Ayaan Khan top-scored with 36 runs. Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc and Ellis contributed with two wickets each while Stoinis returned with the figures of 3-19 in his three overs.
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