ZIM VS OMA: Zimbabwe claim eighth ICC T20 World Cup clash by eight runs

COLOMBO: The eighth match of the ICC T20 World Cup saw Zimbabwe register a narrow eight-run victory over Oman, as fans at the stadium witnessed a low-scoring contest in the ZIM VS OMA clash on Friday. In contrast, Scotland earlier secured a dominant 73-run win after posting 207 runs against Italy.

The ZIM VS OMA clash began with a cautious approach from both sides. After winning the toss, Zimbabwe opted to bowl first in the eighth match of the tournament.

Zimbabwe produced a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Oman to 103 runs. For Oman, Vinayak Shukla (28), Sufyan Mehmood (25), and Nadeem Khan (20) were the only notable contributors. The rest of the batting lineup struggled, with skipper Jatinder Singh dismissed for just five, leaving Oman in deep trouble.

Oman’s batting never gained momentum as Zimbabwe’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout the innings, eventually bundling them out for a modest total.

Chasing a target of 107 runs, Zimbabwe opened with Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani, who provided a confident start. Bennett scored 48 runs off 36 balls, including seven fours, while Marumani added 21 off 11 balls, featuring five fours.

With only 37 runs remaining, Brendan Taylor (31 off 30) and skipper Sikandar Raza (5 off 2) completed the chase comfortably in 13.3 overs.

Blessing Muzarabani was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling, taking 3 wickets against Oman.