by: TN Media News:
Saudi Arabia’s U19 World Cup qualifying campaign got off to a rough start as they suffered a resounding defeat to Oman. Oman, batting first, posted a challenging total of 222/8 in their 50 overs. In response, Saudi Arabia struggled and were bowled out for just 81 runs in less than 20 overs.
Oman started their innings steadily, but Fahad Munir claimed the first wicket in the eighth over when he bowled Thineth Sumanasekera for seven, which left the Omanis on 29 for one. The other opener, Jeet Shah, steadied the nerves, hitting 55 from 92 balls.
Oman’s innings was anchored by opener Jeet Shah, who scored 55 runs from 92 balls. However, it was Nitish Nadendla’s aggressive 60 off 65 balls, along with Prathiesh Ramesh’s half-century, that propelled Oman to a competitive total.
Saudi Arabia’s batting faltered against Oman’s bowling attack, with Arya Sampat taking four wickets for 21 runs. Fahad Munir was the highest scorer for Saudi Arabia with 15 runs, while Ahmed Faisal was the only other batsman to reach double figures with 12 runs.
Despite this setback, Saudi Arabia still has a chance to redeem themselves in Group B. They will face Bhutan in their next match and will be eager to get their qualification campaign back on track. Bhutan, who were bowled out for 85 in their match against Hong Kong, showed resilience by taking six wickets in Hong Kong’s chase to reach their target of 86 runs.
