Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The Netherlands and Zimbabwe have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 after securing their places in Sunday’s Qualifier B Final in Zimbabwe. The final line-up for the men’s event which started in April 2021 with 86 different teams vying for a spot to compete for the ultimate prize in T20 cricket, has now been confirmed with Netherlands and Zimbabwe joining hosts Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates and West Indies. The World Cup takes place in Australia for the first time ever between 16 October and 13 November 2022 across seven host cities, with Geelong and Hobart playing host to the First Round. The final groupings for the Men’s T20 World Cup First Round will be determined through the outcome of Sunday’s final. The winner of Qualifier B will go into Group B with Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies. With the runner-up filling the final spot in Group A alongside Namibia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. Netherlands defeated USA in the first semi-final as Bas de Leede starred with bat and ball for the Netherlands with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over the USA. The all-rounder took two for 23 as the Dutch took wickets at regular intervals after the USA had elected to bat first. An opening partnership of 51 between Steven Taylor (26) and Monank Patel (32) had given them a great start, but from then on, wickets continued to tumble as they were bowled out for 138 with two balls to spare in their innings. In reply, Stephan Myburgh fell for a duck in the first over, bringing De Leede to the crease. And he proceeded to hammer an unbeaten 91 from just 67 deliveries to orchestrate a straightforward chase, adding 53 with Max O’Dowd (16) and an unbroken stand of 77 with skipper Scott Edwards (26no) to seal the win and qualification. Netherlands captain Scott Edwards said: “The first word that comes to mind is relief. I think we’ve got a great squad but these sorts of tournaments are always tricky to get through, especially when only two teams are going. But I couldn’t be happier for the group, we’ve had an awesome tournament so far and I’m looking forward to the final in a couple of days. “Zimbabwe are obviously a very strong side, we’ve watched them throughout the tournament and they are playing some good cricket but so are we. I think it will be a good game and hopefully we can get one up on them.” In the other semi-final Zimbabwe came out on top with victory over Papua New Guinea. The game was in the balance for quite a while, but in the end, Zimbabwe’s batting swung it, PNG unable to chase down their target of 200 in a 27-run loss. Regis Chakabva gave the hosts a good start after they chose to bat, with a quickfire 30 from 19 deliveries, with Craig Ervine (38) and Wesley Madhevere (42) continuing his good work. Charles Amini (2/28) helped stem the tide but a 14-ball 29 from Milton Shumba took Zimbabwe to an imposing 199 for five from their 20 overs. That was going to take some chasing and PNG’s cause was not helped by Lega Siaka being run out off the first ball of the reply. They quickly found themselves in trouble at 33 for three, but Amini (33) and in-form Tony Ura (66) hit back impressively. Ura needed just 35 balls as he threatened to upset the home side but when Ervine bowled him, it effectively sealed victory. PNG kept battling but a couple of wickets for Blessing Muzarabani (2/24) ensured they would not get close as Zimbabwe set up a final date with the Netherlands. Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine said: “I’m almost lost for words. It was a massive fight from the boys, it wasn’t an easy semi-final even though we had set 200. I’ve got to give credit to everybody for being up for the fight. “I’m ecstatic for the country, I think this is huge for Zimbabwe cricket and the next step is going to be on Sunday, winning the Qualifier. Then we look forward to the World Cup in October.” In the day’s other two matches Uganda got the better of Jersey by five runs while Hong Kong beat Singapore by seven wickets. The first of those matches went down to the wire, with Uganda picking up some crucial late wickets to deny Jersey a second win in as many days. Simon Ssesazi (30) and Ronak Patel (21) put on 46 for the first wicket as Uganda batted first but it took 26 from Juma Miyagi down the order to get them to a total of 110 all out from their 20 overs. Benjamin Ward (3/16) was the pick of the bowlers for Jersey, who looked in total control at 75 for four in their chase. But when the partnership between Ward and Jonty Jenner (27no) was broken by Dinesh Nakrani (2/20), the wickets started tumbling. Jenner hung around but ran out of partners as Jersey finished up on 105 for nine. The other match was a little more one-sided, Hong Kong comfortably chasing down Singapore’s total of 146. Yasim Murtaza (3/19) made inroads early on, and two wickets in four balls from Ehsan Khan (2/33) ended a 53-run partnership between Navin Param (33) and Janak Prakash (31), removing both men leg before. In reply, Hong Kong skipper Nizakat Khan (81) provided the anchor innings which meant they were never in danger. Despite his dismissal with 13 still required, they cruised home with seven wickets and seven deliveries to spare.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The last two semi-final spots at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B were claimed by Netherlands and Papua New Guinea on a dramatic final day of group action. The Dutch were in prime position heading into their match with Uganda, and duly made it three wins from three to top Group A, while PNG made it through on net run-rate despite a two-wicket defeat to Hong Kong. Netherlands march on with perfect record With two big wins already under their belts, the Netherlands were all but guaranteed a place in the semi-finals before taking on Uganda. They underlined their position as the team to beat in Group A with a comprehensive 97-run success to top the pile. After being put into bat, it was Max O’Dowd (73) and Tom Cooper (81 not out) who set the Dutch up for a big total, adding 121 for the third wicket on the way to a score of 187 for three. Cooper needed just 42 balls for his knock as he motored along and it soon became clear that Uganda were not going to come close in the chase. In fact, Fred Klaassen (5/19) enjoyed the perfect start by removing Roger Mukasa and Ronak Patel with the opening two deliveries of the innings to leave Uganda with a mountain to climb. The opening bowler continued to chip away, and had five wickets before five overs were up as Uganda slumped to 22 for five. From there, it was simply a case of how big the margin of victory would be. Bas de Leede (2/11) picked up a couple of wickets late on, and while Uganda did bat out their 20 overs, they finished up on 90 for 9. Ura knock keeps PNG alive in Hong Kong defeat The other place in the semi-finals was very much up for grabs, with both Papua New Guinea and Uganda on a win apiece, while Hong Kong knew a big win against PNG would keep them right in contention. They got the victory, getting home on the final delivery, but it was enough to overhaul PNG in second place in Group A. Their challenge in overhauling the net run-rate disadvantage was made much more difficult by Tony Ura, who smashed a blistering 83 from just 33 deliveries after PNG had been put in, helping them to a total of 185 for seven. Charles Amini (37) and Lega Siaka (21) had already chipped in with some valuable runs at the top of the order while Ehsan Khan (3/19) was the pick of the bowlers for Hong Kong. The reply was similarly built around one innings, Babar Hayat doing the damage with a 45-ball 86. He and Zeeshan Ali (42) added 70 for the fifth wicket to put Hong Kong in a good position but Kabua Morea (3/34) removed them both to bring PNG back into it. It went down to the final over but in the end, Hong Kong got over the line thanks to a single from Shahid Wasif off the final delivery to clinch a two-wicket win. Raza and Masakadza fires hosts past the States With two wins each, Zimbabwe and the USA knew that semi-final qualification was already in the bag, it was simply a case of who would take top spot in Group B. The home side proved the stronger on the day in Bulawayo, with Sikandar Raza’s unbeaten 82 helping them make 185 for six after electing to bat. Regis Chakbava (31) and Sean Williams (37) had already laid the platform before Raza came out all guns blazing, hitting five sixes in just 40 deliveries to take them to a big total. Steven Taylor (46) gave the USA some valuable runs at the top of the order but after a 55-run opening stand, they started to falter. Wellington Masakadza was the main architect of their downfall, taking four for 11, and despite an unbeaten 24 from Nisarg Patel, they could only manage 139 for eight in reply in a 46-run loss. Jersey finish group stage with a victory In the battle of the winless sides in Group B, it was Jersey who held their nerve to edge out Singapore by 13 runs. An opening stand of 54 between Harrison Carlyon (18) and Nick Greenwood (44) gave them a good start, with Jonty Jenner chipping in with 35 from 23 deliveries as they finished on 154 for seven. Carlyon then had an immediate impact with the ball, taking two for five from his two overs, including a maiden, as Singapore quickly found themselves in trouble. The score was 33 for three when Manpreet Singh came to the crease, with the keeper smashing 59 from 37 deliveries to give his team a chance. When he fell with three overs remaining however, Singapore’s hopes went with him, and they eventually finished up on 141 for seven, 13 runs short.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Two of the four semi-final spots in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B have been sealed after Zimbabwe and USA made it two wins from two on Tuesday. Williams steers Zimbabwe past resolute Jersey Having racked up 235 against Singapore on Monday, Zimbabwe found runs harder to come by against a disciplined Jersey attack. And they largely had their bowlers to thank for a second straight win in Group A, with leg-spinner Ryan Burl (3/14) and slow left-armer Williams, who conceded just 15 from his four overs, in complete control during the middle overs. Jersey had earlier elected to put Zimbabwe into bat and that decision was quickly vindicated when captain Craig Ervine was dismissed by Ben Stevens (1/15) inside the first over. Williams steadied the ship and was well supported by Sikandar Raza (18) and Luke Jongwe, who plundered a valuable 29 off just 13 balls. Jersey’s innings began in far more convincing fashion as Harrison Carlyon (45) and Nick Greenwood (10) established a strong opening partnership. But Carlyon could only manage three boundaries from 56 deliveries and Jersey ultimately ran out of time, despite a late flurry from Benjamin Ward, who hit an unbeaten 35 from 20 balls, as they finished 23 runs short on 123 for five. Netravalkar five-for gives USA second win Saurabh Netravalkar claimed a stunning five-wicket haul as USA strolled to a 132-run victory against Singapore. The left-arm quick tore through the Singapore top order, taking each of the first four wickets in a dazzling display which also included a maiden and saw him finish with five for 12. In-form Steven Taylor led the way once again with the bat, following up his century on Monday with 58 from 31 here as they raced to 201 for six. Taylor and opening partner Monank Patel (39) put on 76 for the first wicket and Jaskaran Malhotra soon joined the party, adding 58 off just 33 balls with four bruising maximums. In reply, Singapore had no answer to Netravalkar, who removed both Aman Desai and Manpreet Singh for nought before claiming skipper Amjad Mahboob with his final ball. Only Anantha Krishna (22) was able to curb the efforts of the destructive Netravalkar and the tricky leg-spin of Nisarg Patel (2/12) as Singapore were bowled out for 69. USA return to action on Thursday against Zimbabwe where one unbeaten record must fall, while Singapore will be looking for their first win of the campaign against Jersey. Netherlands make quick work of Hong Kong It took just 13.2 overs for Netherlands to chase down Hong Kong’s total of 116, as Max O’Dowd (45) and Bas de Leede (36 not out) impressed with the bat. Hong Kong captain Nizakat Khan opted to bat but only he was able to hold firm against a talented Dutch attack, making 60 off 55 deliveries before falling to Logan van Beek (4/27). His performance was the highlight in an otherwise flat display which saw just two other batters reach double figures, paceman Fred Klaassen taking 2/16 before van Beek’s superb spell as Hong Kong left 11 balls unused. O’Dowd and de Leede carried their team to the brink of victory after the early dismissal of Stephan Myburgh (11), with Tom Cooper (20) also chipping in as Netherlands got home with 6.4 overs to spare. Papua New Guinea up and running after mesmerising run chase A stunning 93 not out from Assad Vala helped Papua New Guinea to an eight-wicket victory over Uganda and took them past the Cricket Cranes on net run rate in Group B. Uganda’s Simon Ssesazi had earlier starred with the bat for Uganda, striking 78 off just 48 deliveries with support from Riazat Ali Shah (48) as they posted a respectable 160 for four.  Vala and Bau took to the crease with their side in a difficult position, as both Lega Siaka and Charles Amini fell to Frank Nsubuga (2/16) in the fourth over. But the pair quickly settled and put on 132 off just 76 balls to carry their team to what became a comfortable victory with 3.2 overs to spare, captain Vala hitting seven fours and six sixes during his destructive 47-ball knock. Papua New Guinea and Uganda are now level on points in second and third in Group B, with Vala’s side taking on Hong Kong in Thursday’s final group game while Uganda face Netherlands on what is set to be a tense morning of action.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-A Steven Taylor hundred fired USA to a win over Jersey as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B got off to a thrilling start in Bulawayo. Taylor’s unbeaten 101 came off just 55 balls and included 16 boundaries as his side successfully chased down Jersey’s total of 154 for five. Elsewhere in Group A, there was an 111-run victory for hosts Zimbabwe over Singapore, while Netherlands and Uganda each secured wins in Group B. USA chased down Jersey’s total with 11 balls to spare as opening bat Taylor proved the star of the show. Aaron Jones played his part in the run chase too, dovetailing nicely with Taylor in scoring a useful 38 off 30 deliveries to help USA beat the side ranked five places above them in the world rankings. USA had earlier elected to field and, bar the best efforts of Asa Tribe (73) and Benjamin Ward (38), had always seemed to be in control, with two wickets apiece for Nisarg Patel (2/26) and Rusty Theron (2/28). In reply, Taylor’s opening partner Monank Patel (15) was caught with the score at 47 at the end of the seventh over, leaving the tie back in the balance with USA marginally behind the required rate. But Taylor steered his side home and fittingly brought up the win, and his century, with his fifth maximum in the penultimate over. Zimbabwe run riot against Singapore There was no stopping Zimbabwe in the other Group A fixture, as they set Singapore a daunting 237 to win. Having been put into bat, the Chevrons instantly hit their stride with the opening pair of Regis Chakabva (24) and captain Craig Ervine (34) setting the tone, bringing up 50 after just 3.4 overs. They soon fell but Sikandar Raza (87) and Sean Williams (53) carried on in the same vein, putting on 103 for the fourth wicket to help the hosts towards their eventual total of 236 for five. Singapore got off to a slow start in reply, losing opener Rohan Rangarajan for one in the second over and seeing the required rate continue to accelerate.  Janak Prakash finished as their top scorer with 32 as Singapore finished on 125 for seven. Tendai Chatara (3-14) was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers and his double strike in the sixth over all but ended Singapore’s hopes of completing a miraculous chase.  Zimbabwe return to action against Jersey on Tuesday, while Singapore will be looking to bounce back against the USA. Netherlands stroll past Papua New Guinea Netherlands made an impressive start to their campaign with a 52-run victory over Papua New Guinea. Netherlands captain Scott Edwards’ decision to bat soon looked a shrewd one when openers Max O’Dowd (32) and Stephan Myburgh (39) put on 78 for the first wicket. The innings then began to falter as 20-year-old quick Semo Kamea (2/25) steadied the scoring rate, which had earlier threatened to take Netherlands past 200. Wickets fell at regular intervals in the middle overs, with only Bas de Leede (33) and Logan van Beek (19 not out) offering some form of resistance, as Netherlands finished on 163 for seven. Although Papua New Guinea lost a couple of early wickets in response, they were in the game at the midway point of the second innings, thanks to a rebuild from Charles Amini (21) and Sese Bau (35). But after Amini had succumbed to Paul van Meekeren (2/22), Netherlands quickly wrapped up victory, with the final eight wickets falling for just 40 runs in a frenetic 8.1-over spell – van Beek completing a fine all-round display by taking three for 17. Uganda edge past Hong Kong as bowlers dominate In the final fixture of the day, a low-scoring affair saw Uganda chase down 87 with just three balls to spare to beat Hong Kong. Uganda looked to be heading for a straightforward victory when they restricted their opponents to just 87 for nine. Only two Hong Kong batters - Kinchit Shah (37) and Zeeshan Ali (11) - made double figures, with medium-pacer Dinesh Nakrani (4/12) the standout Uganda bowler. But from the moment opener Simon Ssesazi fell for a first-ball duck in the first over of the reply, a nervy chase was in store. Riazat Ali Shah was the key man, compiling a vital unbeaten 28 from 41 deliveries to steer his side to a dramatic final-over success despite the best efforts of Aizaz Khan (3/22). Up next for Uganda is Papua New Guinea, while Hong Kong will be searching for a first win when they play the Netherlands.

Sports Bulletin Report It has been a long climb back to the summit of international cricket for Zimbabwe but Blessing Muzarabani knows they are within touching distance of dining at the top table once more. The Chevrons were ineligible for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, following the agonising failure to secure a berth at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. Seamer Muzarabani believes his side are ready to remake their mark on the world stage but knows tough games lie ahead in ICC Men's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier B before they can do that. “It has been really tough for us,” admitted Muzarabani when reflecting on the past few years of Zimbabwean cricket. “I’m happy with the team right now because the guys are really working hard in the nets and hopefully we will execute our plan. I’m happy that we are getting these opportunities. I am just looking forward to going out there and just express ourselves.  I’m sure we’re going to enjoy it and try and win every game.” Before the last edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Chevrons had been mainstays, competing at every iteration since 2009. They now face three group stage games against Jersey, the USA and Singapore before the pivotal semi-final stage, with both finalists set to book their tickets to Australia. And with all games taking place on home soil in Bulawayo, Muzarabani is hoping the cricketers can put on a show for their country. “It’s going to be a good opportunity to go out there and play,” said the fast bowler. “We just need to win the game, that’s the first thing, and hopefully we will play well. We are going to make the crowd happy and our families happy. That’s our aim. We want to make our families proud, we want to make the supporters proud.” The qualifiers offer a chance for the Chevrons to begin a new era in Zimbabwe cricket and Muzarabani believes they have a good chance of doing so with an exciting batch of players coming through. “There’s some really good talent, some good young guys coming up,” he added. “There’s a really good batter, [Tadiwanashe] Marumani and there is Wesley [Madherve] as well. The future is looking bright but right now this is all about this tournament.” And for Muzarabani, the prospect of representing his country at the World Cup is one he can’t wait to go and grasp.  “I’d love to have that opportunity to play at the main World Cup because I’ve never been there,” he said. “I’m sure a lot of guys are looking forward to that. We’re going to give it our best so we get that opportunity to experience playing the World Cup. Hopefully it’s going to bring happiness to our supporters.”

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ireland confirm the big tickets to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia on Tuesday after reaching the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, supported by Dream 11, at Al Amerat. The two winning teams took the 13th and 14th spots for the tournament in Australia later this year, with the last two places to be decided at the Qualifier B in July. Chasing an imposing victory target of 176 to win, Nepal were rocked by the early strikes of UAE pacer Junaid Siddique. The quick, was in top gear, removing the top-three Nepal batters in his three-over spell. A sensational opening over saw Siddique sending back opener Aasif Sheikh and one-down batter Lokesh Bam off two successive balls. Nepal were 3-2 in six balls and the chase looked a tall order. Siddique then took the prize scalp of Nepal’s in-form batter Kushal Bhurtel in his second over. UAE skipper Ahmed Raza’s double-strike in the 13th over extinguished whatever hopes Nepal had as they were down to 83-6. Raza’s golden arm found him more success to wrap up Nepal innings for 107 and his five-wicket haul earning him the player of the match award. The experienced duo of Dipendra Singh Airee (38) and Gyanendra Malla were the only batters to reach double digits. Earlier, Vriitya Aravind, the new poster boy of UAE Cricket, continued with his blazing batting display. A whirlwind knock of 46 off 23 set the tone for his team’s impressive total. Opting to make the first use of the wicket, UAE plans to get off a fast start in the match were thwarted by Nepal bowlers. Chirag Suri was castled by Jitendra Mukhiya, who finished with a three-wicket haul, as UAE were 6-1 in 10 balls. Opener Muhammad Waseem regained his touch and along with Aravind took the rival attack to the cleaners. The teenager had hammered 5 fours and 3 maximums. He has now scored 267 runs so far to be the leading run-getter in the qualifiers. Waseem and Mohammad Usman then shared a stand of 64. Waseem cut loose in the 11th over smashing two boundaries and a six of Bohara. The opener reached his half-century in style with a six off Kamal Airee. With five overs remaining, UAE were 131/2. They put the pedal on the metal but lost two wickets in the 17th over off Bohara, who dismissed Usman and Waseem. Waseem’s 48-ball 70 was laced with 4 fours and 4 sixes. Zawar Farid’s big hits got UAE a productive over, but he perished in the same over. UAE added another 21 in the last two overs to reach 175. Ireland ease to victory Batting first after losing the toss, Ireland posted a total of 165/7. Gareth Delany top scored with a masterfully constructed 32-ball 47. Oman began the Powerplay well as Ireland’s usually reliable opening pair – Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie - failed them this time. However, Delany and Harry Tector erected an 82-run fourth wicket stand to put the pressure back on the hosts. Tector was the aggressor early on, but once Delany settled in, fireworks ensued on both ends of the wicket. Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood in particular endured a difficult afternoon with the ball as Delany devoured his only over, smashing three consecutive sixes. Bilal Khan had dismissed both the openers earlier and Kaleemullah matched his strike partner’s efforts by plotting Tector’s demise for a well-made 35. Lorcan Tucker followed suit in the very next ball, and with Khawar Ali sending Delany back in the following over, Oman had their tails up for the final stretch of the innings. With good reason too, as Ireland were placed precariously at 106/5 at the end of 14 overs. George Dockrell chipped in with a valuable 16-ball 18, but it was Andy Mcbrine that provided the fuel to take Ireland past 150. His quick-fire 36 included 3 fours and 2 sixes.

Sports Bulletin Report OMAN:-Bowlers dominated the afternoon session of day 3 in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, supported by Dream 11, at Al Amerat on Monday aiding Nepal and hosts Oman to advance to the semi-final of the tournament from Group A. Nepal defeated Canada by eight wickets while Oman raced to a nine-wicket win over the Philippines. Having bowled out Canada for 80 in 15 overs, Nepal were never in trouble, chasing down the target in 14.1 overs for the loss of Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Malla’s wickets. Kushal Bhurtel, who became only the third Nepalese batter to score a T20I century on Saturday against the Philippines, stayed unbeaten on 34. Along with Dipendra Singh Airee (27), the side cantered to victory.   Nepal emerged as the Group A topper with a clean slate after recording three successive wins for six points. Oman with two victories finished a runner-up with four. Nepal will take on the Group B runner-up UAE while the hosts will face Group B topper Ireland in the semi-finals, which will be played on Tuesday. Both the matches begin at 14.00 hrs (local time). At Oman Academy 2 ground, Oman missed a chance to script history. They recorded one of the largest margins of victory in a T20 International by bowling out Philippines for 36 in 15.2 overs, their lowest-ever T20 International total, the hosts chased the target in just 2.5 overs, scoring 40-1. The huge win for Oman, with 103 balls remaining was just a ball more than the world record margin achieved by Austria. On 31 August 2019, Austria had defeated Turkey in a T20I match with 104 balls remaining in Ilfov County, Romania. Electing to bat first, Philippines was rocked by the pace attack of – Bilal Khan, Kaleemullah and Fayyaz Butt. Khan gave away just seven runs in his three-over spell on a trot to build the pressure. Kaleemullah and Fayyaz Butt complimented each other as they sent back the top-order by the eighth over. Khawar Ali and Aamir Kaleem then spun a magical web as wickets fell at regular intervals. Philippines, who are making their debut in the global qualifiers, were bowled out for 36 in 15.2 overs. Ali bagged four for 11 in 3.2 overs while Kaleem had figures of 2-1-2-2. Butt and Kaleemullah also bagged a brace each. Oman lost Kashyap Prajapati off the second ball of their innings but with a small total, it turned out to be a stroll in the park for the hosts. Khurram Khan smashed a quick fire 12-ball 33, which included 5 fours and 2 sixes, and along with Jatinder Singh, wrapped up an easy win. Nepal skipper Sandeep Lamichhane led from the front with a three-wicket haul (3-12) to bowl out Canada for 80. Kamal Airee and Abinash Bohara picked two wickets apiece. The Canadian innings were rocked by two run out dismissals with in-form opener Rayyan Pathan triggering a collapse. Three balls after Pathan’s exit, Ravinderpal Singh followed him in the pavilion with the team’s total at 39-4. The Canadian batters were stifled against some accurate bowling and could never recover from the double-wicket loss in the sixth over. A procession continued as the next five batters were dismissed for the addition of just nine runs, which included another run-out dismissal [Saad Zafar]. At 48-9, Canada were in a precarious situation with nearly ten overs remaining. Dilon Heyliger and No 10 Salman Nazar adopted a counter-attack strategy to push the score to take it to 80 with a crucial 32-run stand. Heyliger smashed 2 sixes and a four in his unbeaten 22-ball 24 while Nazar made 10.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Unbeaten half-centuries by Kashyap Prajapati and skipper Zeeshan Maqsood powered hosts Oman to a nine-wicket win over Canada in the Group A match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, supported by Dream 11, at the Oman Academy ground in Al Amerat on Saturday. In the second game of the morning session, Nepal strolled to a 136-run win over Philippines to top the group with four points after their back-to-back victories. Canada and Oman have two points each now. Oman’s win helped them bounce back to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the semi-finals. The top-two teams in each group will advance to the knockout round. Chasing a target of 156 to win, hosts lost opening batter Jatinder Singh in the fifth over with the total at 30. Maqsood joined Prajapati in the middle and the pair exhibited some fine strokes all around the park. The duo took the attack to the bowlers to share a 129-run unbroken partnership to secure a comfortable win with 12 balls to spare. Prajapati was unbeaten for 74 off 56 balls. His knock was studded with five boundaries and four sixes. Maqsood displayed more attacking intent to race to his 76 off just 44 balls, with six boundaries and five maximums. Jatinderpal Matharu’s second over cost him 19 runs as Maqsood hammered three fours and a six. Along with Prajapati, the skipper continued the attack as they smashed the bowling attack for a total of 47 runs in just three overs to wrap up the win. Rayyan Pathan and Matharu went for plenty in their spell as they gave away 24 and 23 runs respectively in their two-over spells. Earlier, Ravinderpal Singh anchored Canada’s innings with a partnership with Saad Zafar to guide the team to 83 before Maqsood broke the stand. Canadian opening pair Rayyan Pathan and Matthew Spoors – got off to a bright start. Pathan was in fine form as he found the early boundaries in the Power play but was run out in the fifth over for 26 that included four boundaries. Matthew Spoors, who made century on his T20I debut on Friday, followed his partner in the pavilion soon as Kaleemullah came up with a splendid wicket-maiden sixth over. Canadian skipper Navneet Dhaliwal departed in the next over to leave the side at 43-3. Singh and Zafar revived the innings with a 42-run stand. Oman bowlers restricted their opponents to a 62-3 at the halfway mark. Hamza Tariq and Singh gradually accelerated the run-rate as they took 12 off Syed Aamir Kaleem’s 14th over. Singh finally fell in the 17th over caught brilliantly by Prajapati off Bilal Khan. Dilllon Heylinger struck some hits in the death overs, blasting a six and two successive boundaries in the 18th over to stay unbeaten on 21 off ten balls. Tariq ended Canada’s innings with a six to help the team’s total of 155 for six. Navneet Dhaliwal, Captain Canada said, “Catches win matches is an age-old saying. We dropped some big catches, of their opener [Kashyap Prajapati]. If we had taken those chances, the match could have gone differently. We only have ourselves to blame. I think Oman bowled really well, so credit goes to them. But we were quite happy with the total we put up.” Ahead of their must-win match against Nepal on Monday, Dhaliwal said: “We know it is a big game. The good thing is we are not out of the tournament yet so we will try our best.” Zeeshan Maqsood, Captain Oman said: “We really needed this win, and it was great to achieve it. After Jatinder got out, coach [Duleep Mendis] supported my decision to come out at one down. “The way KP (Kashyap) played was crucial. We were getting runs on both the ends so that put pressure on Canada. I was also happy that we could restrict Canada to 155.  We had a complete performance and the way we won underlines it.” Bhurtel ton in Nepal’s victory Kushal Bhurtel slammed an unbeaten 61-ball century as Nepal defeated the Philippines by 136 runs in the second game at Oman Academy 2 ground on Saturday. Coming out to bat after the Philippines won the toss, Nepal scored 218/3 in their 20 overs. Opener Aasif Sheikh was sent back for a duck in the second over and soon after, Kushal Malla followed. A 171-run fourth-wicket stand between Bhurtel and experienced Dipendra Singh Airee (83 off 47) meant that Philippines went into the break, looking at a target even larger than the 216 that Canada had posed on Friday. Dipendra’s inning included six fours and four sixes while Bhurtel’s inning was studded with 13 boundaries and one maximum. Philippines were then restricted to only 82/8 with contributions from Daniel Smith, Jordan Alegra and captain Jonathan Hull.

Playing in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup is a long-awaited dream comes true for all of us. We have played three T20 World Cups but have never played an ODI one, so we are very excited and very eager to perform on the biggest stage. We want to make the most of this opportunity and make it count. We have never played against England, Australia or New Zealand in ODIs, so it will be a new experience. We have followed them on the TV and the internet as we knew that someday we would play against them, and our analysts have given us information about their strengths and weaknesses to help us prepare. Generally, the outlook of Bangladesh cricket changed after our Asia Cup win in 2018. People are showing more interest now because they know the Bangladesh women’s team exists - before that, some people may not even have known that a Bangladesh women’s team existed. Now, people are showing interest and they want to know where and how we're going to play. The media is showing interest and when we qualified for the World Cup, the whole nation was very happy – you could see that through the reception on social media. Bangladesh is a cricket-loving nation and now they are also there for the women’s team. This brings some pressure but it’s good pressure, as we feel a desire to do well for them as well. This competition is a huge opportunity for us because we can show we have potential and we are improving as a team. If we do well here, more teams will be interested in playing against us, more international cricket will come to the country and the Bangladesh Cricket Board will try to increase domestic matches as well. From there, they will try to find more young talented cricketers because of the need to have a pipeline of new players coming through. The cricket board is working on the under-19s, under-17s and the emerging side so there are a lot of cricketers there who are eager for us to do well here because they know if we do well, they will have a good future. Of our current squad, openers Murshida Khatun and Sharmin Akhter Supta played well in the qualifiers and are in very good touch. Rumana Ahmed has always been there when our team needed her and Salma Khatun is one of the best all-rounders in the world. In the bowling attack, we have added a fast young bowler, Suraiya Azmin, who the cricket world hasn’t seen very much of yet, and Fariha Trisna offers a left-arm option. We have three former captains – Salma, Rumana and Jahanara Alam – in our team, who are helping me a lot and I’m taking on board all their advice. On a personal level, it is a great opportunity for me to lead the team into our first ever World Cup. If we could do well here, it’s going to be a great historical moment for all of us.

Sports Bulletin Report OMAN (Muscat):-The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, supported by Dream 11, begins at the Oman Academy grounds in Al Amerat on Friday. A lot is at stake for the eight participating nations – Ireland, Nepal, UAE, Canada, Germany, Philippines, Bahrain, and hosts Oman – as they vie for the two spots available at the Qualifier A from 18 to 24 February. Fixtures: February 18th, Friday: 10:00 (local time start): Oman Academy 1: Oman v Nepal, Oman Academy 2: Canada v Philippines; 14:00: Oman Academy 1: Ireland v UAE, Oman Academy 2: Germany v Bahrain. February 19th, Saturday: 10:00: Oman Academy 1: Oman v Canada, Oman Academy 2: Nepal v Philippines;  14:00: Oman Academy 1: UAE v Germany, Oman Academy 2: Ireland v Bahrain. February 20th, Sunday: Rest Day. February 21st, Monday: 10:00: Oman Academy 1: Ireland v Germany, Oman Academy 2: UAE v Bahrain; 14:00: Oman Academy 1: Nepal vs Canada, Oman Academy 2: Oman vs Philippines. February 22nd, Tuesday: 10:00: Oman Academy 1: A3 vs B4 (3rd in Group A v 4th in Group B), Oman Academy 2: B3 v A4 (3rd in Group B v 4th in Group A); 14:00: Oman Academy 1: Semi-Final 1 (winner Group A v Runner-up Group B), Oman Academy 2: Semi-Final 2 (Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A). February 23rd, Wednesday: Rest Day. February 24th, Thursday: Oman Academy 1: 10:00: 5th and 6th Play off (Winner of A3 v B4 v Winner of B3 v A 4), Oman Academy 2: 7th and 8th Play off (Loser of A3 v A4 v Loser of B3 v B4). 14:00: Oman Academy 1: Final (Winner of A1 v B2 v Winner of B1 v A2), Oman Academy 2:3rd and 4th Play off (Loser of A1 v B2 v Loser of B2 v A1). Participating squads: Bahrain: Shahbaz Badar, Junaid Aziz Mohd Aziz, Waseeq Ahmed, Imran Javed Anwar, Prashant Kurup, Muhammad Younis, David Keelan Mathias, Umer Imtiaz, Sarfraz Ali (captain), Veerapathiran Sathaiyah, George Aaron Aaxtel, Haider Ali, Shahid Mahmood, Faiz Ahmed. Canada: Navneet Dhaliwal (captain), Rayyan Pathan, Matt Spoors, Harsh Thaker, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Zafar, Hamza Tariq, Shreyaas Movva, Salman Nazar,Junaid Siddiqui, Rishiv Joshi, Dilon Heyliger, Jatinderpal Matharu, Kaleem Sana. Germany: Venkat Ganesan (captain), Michael Richardson, Dieter Klein, Fayaz Nasseri, Dylan Blignaut, Justin Broad, Nooruddin Mujadady, Vijay Shankar, Faisal Mubashir, Shoaib Azam Khan, Muslim Yar Ashraf, Sri Vishnu Baratheon, Talha Khan, Rasul Ahmadi. Ireland:  Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young. Nepal: Sandeep Lamichhane (captain), Sharad Vesawkar, Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Airee, Kushal Bhurtel, Arif Sheikh, Asif Sheikh, Abinash Bohara, Jitendra Mukhiya, Kamal Airee, Bibek Yadav, Lokesh Bam, Sagar Dhakal, Gulshan Jha. Oman: Zeeshan Maqsood (captain), Syed Amir Kaleem, Muhammad Naseem, Jatinder Singh, Khawar Ali, Muhammad Nadeem, Ayaan Khan, Sandeep Goud, Kashyupkumar Prajapati, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, Ahmed Fayyaz Butt, Shoaib Khan, Khurram Khan. Philippines: Jonathan Hill (captain), Dan Smith, Henry Tyler, Grant Russ, Richie Goodwin, Jordan Alegra, Sachin Biddappa, Vimal Kumar, Siva Mohan, Huzaifa Mohammed, Gurbhupinder Chohan, Muzammil Shahzad, Miggy Podosky, Hern Isorena. UAE: Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Ahmed Raza (captain), Zohoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Muhammad Boota, Mohammad Usman, Rahul Bhatia.