Nepal close in on semi-final spot, Oman keep hopes alive against Canada

The second round of Group A matches at the T20 World Cup Qualifier saw hosts Nepal go top of the table with a second victory, running up the score against the Philippines to win by a margin of 136 runs and take a nigh-unassailable lead in the group, while hosts Oman took advantage of a sloppy display in the field from Canada to put their first points on the board, keeping their hopes alive in the three-way race for the two semi-final spots on offer.

A maiden T20I century for Khushal Bhurtel was the highlight of the action at Oman Academy Ground 1, with Bhurtel shaking off the cobwebs after a quiet tour to become the third man after Paras Khadka and Gyanendra Malla to reach the milestone for Nepal. Ably supported by Dipendra Singh Airee, Bhurtel struck an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls to see Nepal to a total of 218-3 from their 20 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane picked up three wickets in the Philippines reply, which would see the Carabaos sink to their second three-figure defeat despite the early resistance of Daniel Smith and Jordan Alegre's defiant late flourish.

Bhurtel's opening partner Aasif Sheikh will have spent the innings looking on enviously from the sidelines, having been pinned LBW for a golden duck by Smith in the second over. And Kushal Malla likewise will have felt he missed out after being caught for just 12 off Miguel Podosky. From then on, the traffic was all one way however, as Airee and Bhurtel put together an accelerating 121-run partnership, Bhurtel bringing up his half-century in the 9th over lifting a high full toss from Chohan over the keeper. Fifth T20I fifty in only his 8th innings. Airee was reprieved of Podosky in the 15th as the cover sweeper drifted too far in off the rope and couldn't cling on to a lofted drive tracking back, and would follow Bhurtel to fifty in the 17th over, taking Henry Tyler for back to back sixes as they closed in on the 200 mark. Bhurtel would complete his century tucking Gurbhupinde Chohan to leg for a single in the 19th, but Airee would fall three balls later, bowled for 83. Lokesh Bam would hit the ground running, sending his first ball for six over long on, Nepal finishing on 207-3 at the break.

Philippines openers set off gamely after the huge target, Kapil Kumar finding the rope driving Ghulan Jha through long off, but would be caught off Jitendra Mukhiya in the next over.

Smith driving Jha for back to back fours in the next over brought cheers from the Filipino dug-out, but they never threatened the asking rate. Smith would go for 20 on the first ball of the 8th, Lamichhane drawing him forward and beating the bat with a legbreak and Sheikh whipping off the bails. Tyler was cleaned up five balls later playing around a googly, and Richard Goodwin had no more luck picking Lamichhane, clean bowled for a four ball duck in the 11th to extinguish any faint hope. Wickets continued to fall as the chase limped on but Jordan Alegra's late flourish in the final over would again bring cheers, he and Chohan taking 16 runs of Abinash Bohara's final over. The late runs will have done some minor damage to Nepal's impressive net run rate, which may yet come into play given events on the other ground.

There, Oman were faced with a must-win match against Canada or face certain elimination just two matches into the tournament. Coming off an opening defeat at the hands of Nepal, Oman were under pressure after allowing Canada to recover from a middle-overs slump to post 155-6, but were helped by a desultory effort in the field that saw Kashyap Prajpati and Zeeshan Maqsood repeated reprieved, the pair taking full advantage of Canada's poor catching to see the hosts home with two overs and nine wickets to spare.

Things had started promisingly for Canada, Rayyan Pathan and Matthew Spoors again getting off to a brisk start with a rapid 33-run opening stand, taking advantage of some wayward bowling from the Omani seamers. A needless run-out rapidly turned the momentum however, as Pathan was sold up the river by Spoors and sharply run out by Khawar Ali firing in from short midwicket. Spoors himself could apologise in person two overs later, out fending at a short ball from Kaleemullah and edging behind for 11 and skipper Navneet Dhaliwal could add just one run from eight balls before a thick outside edge off the ninth was held at backward point off Butt.

Ravinderpal Singh and Saad bin Zafar would stabilise the innings with a 40-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Bin Zafar was bowled by a quicker ball from Maqsood, backing away in the 13th over. Singh pressed on with Hamza Tariq but would fall four short of fifty looking to force the pace and chipping Bilal Khan up into the on side for a simple catch at deep midwicket. An even 17th over would see Harsh Thaker launching his first ball from Fayyaz Butt over midwicket for six, then missing the next to be trapped plumb in front, only for Dillon Heylinger to strike three consecutive boundaries to wrest the initiative back for Canada. Tariq and Heylinger would both add brisk scores of 21 off 15 and 10 respectively, Tariq slog sweeping the final ball of the innings over deep square leg for six to set Oman a target of 156 to survive in the tournament.

Oman would struggle to find runs in the powerplay, Kaleem Sana opening the innings with five consecutive dots and pressure continuing to build as the first 15 balls passed without a boundary. But when the opportunity came it was spurned by Spoors at backward point, Prajapati miscuing a drive off Sana and a tough low chance going begging. Prajpati added insult to injury connecting perfectly with the same shot inside out over cover for six for the first boundary of the innings and following up by cutting behind point for four more.

Saad Bin Zafar, introduced in the fifth over, struck immediately, inducing a thick edge from Singh that was well taken by Thaker tracking back from cover, but it would be the only chance Canada managed to hold onto. Joined by skipper Maqsood, Prajapati was reprieved again on 40, a tough running chance at long on off Matharu spilled by Sana in the 11th, and again punished the error, taking 13 off Heylinger in the next. The following over would again see Prajapati dropped, Tariq calling for a big top edge only to see it spin out of the gloves at he dove at Matharu's feet as the batsmen scrambled a single before Maqsood plundered 18 more runs off the remaining five balls to put his side well in control. Prajpati went to fifty in the 14th driving Pathan to mid on, and Maqsood followed him in the next. By then the game was all but done but with an eye on net run rate Prajapati and Maqsood began to cut loose as Canadian fielders continue to drop anything that came their way.

Maqsood would wrap up a nine-wicket victory putting Sana across the rope with two overs remaining, but despite the ease of victory the margin is insufficient to make up for their net run rate deficit. Oman will see an opportunity to address that issue when they take on the Philippines on Monday, but will need to win by a margin of more than 150 runs to be assured of progressing to the semi-finals. For Canada, the defeat means that barring an upset win for the Philippines they must beat Nepal in their final match to have any hope of qualification, and do so by a margin of close to 40 runs to be safe. For Nepal, any win will see them top the group, while defeat by less that about 35 runs will guarantee them a spot in the semi-finals.