Desert T20: Bumbling Oman fall to brink after losing opener to Netherlands

ABU DHABI // Oman will have to beat Hong Kong on Monday if they are realistically to keep alive their chances of reaching Friday’s Desert T20 play-offs, after losing their opening match to the Netherlands. The Gulf side’s five-wicket defeat was not short of entertainment. Unfortunately for them, too much of it was of the slapstick variety. Ajay Lalcheta was comically run out after aborting an attempt to run overthrows, when an angry bowler shied at the stumps at the other end having dropped a simple caught and bowled chance. Bilal Khan’s first over as Oman tried to defend 147 was a highlights package by itself. It went four, drop, wicket, wicket, a dot on the hat-trick ball – which grazed Wesley Barresi’s off stump – wide, no ball, and, finally, the batsman was bowled off the free hit. The second-ball drop was reflective of a poor display in the field in general by Oman. And Michael Rippon, who was the man of the match for his spell of one for 15 and 40 runs, saw his bat break, with the bottom half of the blade travel further than the ball he had just hit. “I’ve got to speak to my sponsor,” Rippon joked. __________________________________ Read more ■ Mohammed Usman sees perfect opportunity to become UAE match-winner ■ Five players to watch at the inaugural Desert T20 in the UAE ■ Afghanistan soundly beat Ireland to open inaugural tournament __________________________________ Some class shone through the farce, too. Notably, Paul Van Meekeren further underlined his talent with the ball. The Dutch fast-bowler was hit for six off his final delivery, to skew his figures of one for 21 from his four overs. “I think Paul has an incredibly bright future,” Peter Borren, the Netherlands captain, said. “He is bowling pretty quick. I had to face him in the nets yesterday, and it wasn’t much fun. “I thought he beat [Oman’s batsmen] for pace. When he first came on the scene, he might have been a little inconsistent, but now there is not much going wrong. “He has a huge future, and it is a massive bonus for us to have him bowling as he is.” pradley@thenational.ae Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport