Oman’s national cricket team started the ACC Premier Cup on a positive note. They defeated Qatar by 40 runs on Wednesday at Mulpani Cricket Ground.
Invited to bat first, Oman managed 249 runs on the board, losing eight wickets. They were 156 for six in the 33rd over, but Ayan Khan scored an unbeaten 64 runs from 59 balls to guide his team towards a fighting total. Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood and Sandeep Goud also contributed 41 and 34 runs respectively.
For Qatar, Muhammad Murad and Amir Farooq grabbed three scalps each, while Ikramullah Khan grabbed two.
In response, Qatar could only make 209 runs before being bowled out for 209 runs in 47.2 overs. Bilal Khan was the pick of a bowler for Oman, picking up four wickets. Jay Odedra and Aqib Ilyas also grabbed a couple of wickets.
Skipper Mohammed Rizlan scored the highest 43 runs for Qatar. Khurram Shahzad made 30, whereas Imal Liyanage and Ikramullah Khan assisted 27 and 26 runs respectively.
Oman will face Nepal on April 21 at TU Cricket Ground. Meanwhile, Qatar will battle against Saudi at the same venue on the next day.
