Oman made history by bowling solely with spinners in an ODI against the USA, achieving this for the second time in two days. Oman dismissed the USA for 122 runs with standout performances from their bowlers. The USA retaliated by bowling all spin, leading to Oman’s low score of 65. The tournament standings currently see the USA in first place and Oman in second, both vying for World Cup qualification.
Two days after their historic achievement of bowling an entire ODI solely with spinners, Oman replicated the feat against the USA in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match on February 18. Oman decided to bat first and bowled the USA out for 122 runs, marking another significant moment in ODI history.
Oman’s spinners dominated the match, with Shakeel Ahmed and Jay Odedra opening the bowling. Ahmed was instrumental, claiming the first three wickets of the batting order, with USA losing four wickets during the opening powerplay. Although Milind Kumar offered some resistance with a score of 47 runs off 82 balls, he received minimal assistance from his teammates, with no other batter surpassing 20 runs.
The USA’s innings ended at 122 runs in just 35.3 overs, all bowled by spinners. Shakeel Ahmed ended with impressive figures of 3 wickets for 20 runs, while Odedra and Siddharth Bukkapatnam took two wickets collectively in ten overs. Furthermore, leg-spinner Samay Shrivastav also pocketed 2 wickets in his seven-over spell.
Significantly, this match marked only the second instance in ODI history where a team has bowled all spin throughout an inning longer than six overs. Oman’s previous similar achievement occurred just days earlier against Namibia, where they relied exclusively on spin for the entire 33.1 overs.
In a surprising turn during their batting, the USA chose to use only spinners as well, which proved effective as Oman’s side was dismissed for a mere 65 runs. Nosthush Kenjige was the star performer for the USA, taking 5 wickets for just 11 runs in 7.3 overs. Total, 19 wickets fell to spinners in this rivalry, a record for an ODI match alongside one run-out.
As a result of this game, the USA currently leads the tournament standings, while Oman occupies the second position. The ongoing league is crucial, determining the teams that will qualify for the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup.
In summary, Oman achieved a remarkable feat by bowling an entire ODI innings with spinners against the USA, marking only the second occurrence of such an event in ODI history. The spinners dominated both innings, contributing significantly to the match’s outcome. The results have positioned the USA at the top of the standings, while Oman remains a strong competitor in their pursuit of World Cup qualification.
Original Source: www.wisden.com
