Aditya ChaudhuriDay 5 of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup had four games to look forward to.
With several associate nations featuring on this day, it was Pakistan’s match against the US which turned out to be a clear standout.
In the other fixtures, Papa New Guinea faced Uganda, Australia took on Oman, and Scotland were pitted against Namibia.
Papua New Guinea v Uganda
Papa New Guinea (PNG) batted first in this clash against Uganda but struggled to get going at the top. Juma Miyagi was the pick of the bowlers as he managed two wickets for 10 runs and helped his team restrict PNG to a meagre 77. Hiri Hiri was PNG’s top scorer, who racked up 15 runs in 19 balls.
In reply, Uganda got the job done with 10 balls to spare, but it didn’t prove to be a simple chase by any means. Alei Nao’s 2/16 in four overs made the chase difficult, but Riazat Ali Shah’s crucial knock of 33 proved to be the vital factor in securing the two points for Uganda.
First innings: PNG 77/10 in 19.1 overs
Second innings: Uganda 78/7 in 18.2 overs
Australia v Oman
Australia’s opening game against Oman was nothing but straightforward, though after being pegged back to 50/3 after 8.3 overs it needed a heroic innings from Marcus Stoinis to save the Aussies. The all-rounder scored 67 in just 36 deliveries on a wicket that was extremely challenging to bat on. The experienced David Warner also made 56 off 51 to ensure Australia got to a par total on this pitch. However, Oman would’ve been disappointed with their fielding given they dropped Stoinis twice while he was still new at the crease.
Unfortunately for Oman, the chase proved to be a bit too much, and it was Stoinis again who was the pick of the bowlers. In a truly all-round performance, he picked up three wickets while conceding 19 runs, helping the Aussies win by 39 runs.
First innings: Australia 164/5 in 20 overs
Second innings: Oman 125/9 in 20 overs
Pakistan v USA
In what was the game of the tournament so far, Pakistan suffered a shock defeat to the co-hosts via Super Over.
The first innings of this contest saw Babar Azam and Co struggle in the powerplay as they lost three wickets in the first six overs. Following that, Azam and Shadab Khan managed to put on a 72-run stand and gave Pakistan a good chance of finishing with a decent total. In the end, Khan’s 40 off 25 and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 23 off 16 helped the Asian side to a score of 159.
In reply, the US looked controlled for most part of the chase, with captain Monank Patel leading the way with his 50 off 38. However, after struggling in the final four overs, the Americans clawed back and made 14 in the final over to tie the match.
A poor bowling and fielding performance from Pakistan saw the US finish with 18 runs in the Super Over, of which seven were extras. In reply, the total proved to be too much as Pakistan finished five runs short.
First innings: Pakistan 159/7 in 20 overs
Second innings: USA 159/3 in 20 overs
In Super Over: USA 18/0 batting first | Pakistan 13/1 batting second
Namibia v Scotland
After having their opening clash against England washed out despite some good batting, Scotland managed to register their first win of the competition by beating Namibia by five wickets.
Namibia put on a reasonable total of 155 after their captain, Gerhard Erasmus, made 52 off just 31 deliveries. However, this total proved insufficient given the batting depth Scotland possess.
Captain Richie Berrington was the standout, scoring 47 off 35, and he was helped out with a brilliant 35 off 17 from all-rounder Michael Leask. They chased down the total with nine balls to spare.
First innings: 155/9 (Namibia in 20 overs)
Second innings: 157/5 (Scotland in 20 overs)
