Canada, Namibia, and Oman Triumph in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Warm-up Matches

On the inaugural day of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up matches, debutants Canada, Namibia, and Oman emerged victorious.

Canada outplayed Nepal in Dallas, securing a 63-run victory, while Namibia emerged as the victor in an all-African clash against Uganda, winning by five wickets. Oman, on the other hand, managed a nail-biting win against Papua New Guinea, thanks to some quick-fire runs from Mohammad Nadeem.

Heyliger’s Stellar Performance Propels Canada to Victory

Dilon Heyliger’s four-wicket haul was instrumental in Canada’s 63-run triumph over Nepal in the opening warm-up match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Despite an early setback with Aaron Johnson’s dismissal and Rayyan Pathan’s injury, Canada’s batting line-up, led by Navneet Dhaliwal and Nicholas Kirton, put up a resilient performance.

Heyliger, who remained unbeaten with 13 runs off seven balls, and Ravinderpal Singh’s unbroken stand of 48 runs, with Singh scoring a quickfire 41 off just 17 balls, were the highlights of Canada’s innings.

Heyliger’s bowling spell, where he claimed four wickets for 20 runs in just 15 balls, was pivotal in restricting Nepal to a meagre 120 runs. Nepal’s batting line-up struggled to build partnerships, with Kushal Malla’s 37 off 30 being the only notable contribution.

Oman Clinches Victory Against PNG

Oman managed to chase down Papua New Guinea’s total of 137 with five balls to spare, securing a three-wicket win in their warm-up match.

Papua New Guinea’s batting struggled, with Lega Siaka’s 28 off 20 being the highest individual score. A late cameo from Alei Nao helped them reach a total of 137.

Zeeshan Maqsood’s all-round performance, where he conceded just one boundary off his three overs of left-arm spin and scored 45 off 42 balls, was crucial for Oman’s victory. Mohammad Nadeem’s quick 22 off 11 provided the much-needed acceleration towards the end.

Davin’s Unbeaten Half-century Seals Win for Namibia

Despite Roger Mukasa’s unbeaten half-century, Uganda fell short as Namibia won by five wickets, thanks to Niko Davin’s 54 runs.

In the African face-off, Uganda batted first with opener Robinson Obuya making a quick 38 off 27. However, Bernard Scholtz’s economical bowling spell and Davin’s masterful half-century, including five sixes, ensured Namibia’s victory.

Day 1 Scores Summary

Canada v Nepal at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas

Canada 183/7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Kirton 51, Ravinderpal Singh 41*; Abinash Bohara 2/27, Lalit Rajbanshi 1/20)

Nepal 120 all out in 19.3 overs (Kushal Malla 37, Anil Sah 24; Dilon Heyliger 4/20; Jeremy Gordon 2/25)

Result: Canada won by 63 runs

Papua New Guinea v Oman at Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad

Papua New Guinea 137/9 in 20 overs (Lega Siaka 28, Sese Bau 18; Aqib Ilyas 3/22, Bilal Khan 2/20)

Oman 141/7 in 19.1 overs (Zeeshan Maqsood 45, Khalid Kail 27; Alei Nao 2/12, Charles Amini 2/19)

Result: Oman won by three wickets

Uganda v Namibia at Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad

Uganda 134/8 in 20 overs (Roger Mukasa 51*, Robinson Obuya 38*; Bernard Scholtz 2/16, Merwe Erasmus 2/24)

Namibia 135/5 in 18.5 overs (Niko Davin 54, JP Kotze 29; Henry Ssenyondo 2/14, Cosmas Kyewuta 1/13)

Result: Namibia won by five wickets