Oman's Batting Woes Continue in Eight-Wicket Defeat to England

Oman's skipper, Aqib Ilyas, expressed disappointment over his team's batting performance in their eight-wicket defeat to England in the T20 World Cup 2024 match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Ilyas acknowledged that Oman's top order struggled to score runs throughout the tournament, particularly against bowlers bowling at speeds of 150 kph. "We couldn't do well with the bat. Top order couldn't score runs throughout the tournament. It was good exposure but there wasn't much we could do," he said.

The Oman skipper also highlighted the pressure faced by his batters, who had not scored runs in their previous matches. "The batters were also under pressure having not got runs in the last few games. Unfortunately bad shot selection and they bowled in good areas. You can't blame the bowlers for anything, throughout the tournament they're the ones that did really well," he added.

Recapping the match, England won the toss and elected to field first. Oman's openers, Pratik Athavale and Kashyap Prajapati, made a slow start, scoring only six runs before Athavale was dismissed by Jofra Archer. Shoaib Khan was the only standout batter for Oman, scoring 11 runs. The Three Lions bowlers ended Oman's inning in the 14th over, with Adil Rashid leading the attack with four wickets.

In the chase, England's openers, Philip Salt and Jos Buttler, displayed a dominant performance, scoring 12 runs in the first over. Jonny Bairstow and Buttler remained unbeaten on the crease, helping England win the match in just four overs.

Despite the loss, Ilyas praised his bowlers for their performance throughout the tournament. "Would have liked to finish on a great note," he said.

Tags: #T20WorldCup2024, #Oman, #England, #Cricket, #BattingStruggles