Vikramjit Singh’s maiden century surpassed Ayaan Khan’s immaculate 105 as Netherlands kept their World Cup aspirations alive with a 74-run victory over Oman in a rain-affected match in Harare. Ayaan maintained the battle for winless Oman, but the target of 363 proved insurmountable.
Rain had reduced the game to 48 overs per side, and the Netherlands opener was the aggressor in his 117-run partnership with Max O’Dowd (35). He reached his first century in one-day international cricket after 102 deliveries, but was shortly dismissed. However, Wesley Barresi assumed command at that time. The number three batsman for the Netherlands was unfortunate to lose out on a century by only three runs, but his 65-ball assault on Oman, which included 10 fours and three sixes, propelled the Netherlands past the 300-run mark.
Bas de Leede (39 runs off 19 balls) and Saqib Mulfiqur (33 runs off 17 balls) contributed to their total of 362/7 in 48 overs.
Oman lost two wickets during the powerplay, including their captain Aqib Ilyas, as they attempted to chase down a large target. Ayaan then held one end together en route to his unblemished 105 off 92 balls, with assistance from Shoaib Khan (46 off 61). However, the aggregate pressure and asking rate continued to rise. Shoaib was dismissed four balls shy of his fifty, whereas Ayaan reached the milestone in 84 deliveries.
Oman’s score was 246/6 with four overs remaining when the game was stopped due to poor lighting. The weather had the final say, and the Netherlands won their second Super Sixes game to remain in the competition.
With Sri Lanka already qualified, the competition for the second qualification spot is intense. To have a chance of advancing, Netherlands now require Zimbabwe to lose to Scotland and will undoubtedly need to win their final match.
Brief scores: Netherlands 362/7 in 48 overs (Vikramjit Singh 110, Wesley Barresi 97; Bilal Khan 3-75) beat Oman 246/6 in 44 overs (Ayaan Khan 105, Shoiab Khan 46; Aryan Dutt 3-31) by 74 runs (DLS method, match reduced to 48 overs per side)
