Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: Aamir Kaleem, Rajesh Ranpura and captain Ajay Lalcheta played stellar roles as Oman humbled Nigeria in a massive 181-run victory in the ongoing ICC World Cricket League Division 5 competition in Jersey on Sunday. According to information received here, Oman after being asked to bat first overcame an early wobble before putting up 220 runs for the loss of six wickets in their quota of 50 overs thanks mainly to an unbeaten 78 runs by Aamir Kaleem.
In reply, Nigeria were bowled out for a paltry 39 runs.
For Oman, pacer Rajesh Ranpura and Ajay Lalcheta claimed four wickets each while Munis Ansari and Zeeshan Maqsood bagged one each.
Oman’s rain-affected opening match against hosts Jersey ended in a no result on Saturday but according to the International Cricket Council the teams will play the match again on Monday, a rest day, from the beginning.
On Sunday, Duleep Mendis-coached Oman team began their innings rather shakily losing both openers Khawar Ali (14) and Zeeshan Maqsood (13) early. Number three batsman Vaibhav Wategaonkar (3) too departed soon leaving the score at 36 for three.
Reliable all-rounder Jatinder Singh (9) too followed suit.
However, Noorul Riaz (39) and Aamir Kaleem studied the innings. Later after the departure of Noorul, captain Ajay Lalcheta (44) helped in taking the total to respectability.
Nigeria’s chase never really took off as Munis Ansari removed opener Ademola Onikoyi in the fourth over and then Ranpura routed the opposition with a three strikes in quick succession.
With Lalcheta too troubling the opposition with his left-arm spin, the Nigerians were bowled out for 39 runs. In another match played on Sunday, Guernsey defeated Tanzania by eight wickets.
Brief scores:
Tanzania 108/9 in 41 overs lost to Guernsey 109/2 26.1 overs.
SCOREBOARD
OMAN Khawar Ali run out 14 Zeeshan Maqsood b Issac 13 V. Wategaonkar c Ayannaike b Olympio 3 Noorul Riaz b Oyede 39 Jatinder Singh c Onwuzulike b Adedeji 9 Aamir Kaleem not out 78 Ajay Lalcheta run out 44 Mehran Khan not out 1 Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-12, nb-3) 19 Total (6 wkts; 50 overs) 220 Did not bat: R. Ranpura, S. Khadye, Sufyan Mehmood. Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Zeeshan Maqsood, 5.4 ov), 2-35 (Khawar Ali, 12.2 ov), 3-36 (Wategaonkar, 12.5 ov), 4-63 (Jatinder Singh, 23.2 ov), 5-116 (Riaz, 36.6 ov), 6-217 (Lalcheta, 49.3 ov). Bowling: C.N. Onwuzulike 7-0-45-0 (w-3); O. Issac 8-0-34-1 (nb-2); O.A. Olympio 7-1-19-1 (w-3); A. Abioye 3-0-15-0 (w-4); S. Adedeji 10-3-27-1; A. Oyede 10-0-46-1 (nb-1, w-2); A.P. Adegbola 5-0-30-0. NIGERIA A. Onikoyi lbw Ansari 7 SO Olayinka c&b Ranpura 4 J. Ayannaike c Wategaonkar b Ranpura 7 A.P. Adegbola c Jatinder Singh b Ranpura 2 A. Oyede b Ranpura 5 OJ Bejide lbw Lalcheta 7 S. Adedeji st Khadye b Lalcheta 0 CN Onwuzulike b Lalcheta 1 OA Olympio st Khadye b Lalcheta 0 O. Issac b Zeeshan Maqsood 1 A. Abioye not out 0 Extras (lb-2, w-3) 5 Total (all out; 23.5 overs) 39 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-13, 3-17, 4-28, 5-35, 6-35, 7-35, 8-36, 9-39. Bowling: R. Ranpura 10-3-18-4 (w-2); M. Ansari 5-1-12-1 (w-1); A. Lalcheta 6.5-4-7-4; Zeeshan Maqsood 2-2-0-1.
