MUSCAT: United States of America (USA) delivered a dominant performance to secure a convincing 114-run win over Namibia in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match reduced to 43 overs per side due to late arrival of the teams at the Oman Cricket Academy ground on Saturday.
Road closures led to heavy traffic on the route to the stadium in Al Amerat and the late arrival of both teams and saw the match start later than planned, but it was the USA who quickly found their rhythm, posting a formidable total of 293/8.
The delay in the start saw the match shortened to 43 overs each. Despite the disruption, the USA’s batting order made sure to make the most of the reduced overs, with Andries Gous leading the charge with a patient 76 off 83 balls. Gous shared a crucial 110-run partnership with captain Monank Patel, who also contributed significantly with a rapid 65 off 60 balls.
Milind Kumar provided the late acceleration, blasting 54 off just 34 balls, including 6 boundaries and 2 sixes. Saiteja Mukkamalla chipped in with a quick 31 off 31 balls, while Harmeet Singh’s fiery 18 off 9 balls and Shadley van Schalkwyk’s unbeaten 21 off 10 balls ensured the USA reached a challenging 293/8.
Namibia’s bowlers struggled to stem the flow of runs. JJ Smit was the most successful with the ball, picking up 4 wickets for 46 runs in 9 overs. Bernard Scholtz supported Smit with 3 wickets for 47 runs.
The win strengthened USA’s position at the top of the points table with 18 points, while Namibia remained in 6th place. Namibia will face Oman (14 points) on Monday.
Brief scores: USA: 293/8 in 43 overs (Andries Gous 76, Monank Patel 65, Milind Kumar 54; JJ Smit 4/46) beat Namibia: 179 all out in 40.2 overs (Malan Kruger 32, Shaun Fouché 22; Milind Kumar 4/48, Harmeet Singh 2/35).
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