Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

T20 WC: England thrash Oman to keep their Super Eight hopes alive

Even with a win, England will have to wait for the outcome of Sunday’s match between Australia and Scotland to know if they have reached the Super Eight.

T20 WC: England thrash Oman to keep their Super Eight hopes alive

England defeated Oman by eight wickets, reviving their T20 World Cup campaign with a record-breaking win in Antigua on Thursday.

England needed a significant victory to boost their net run-rate in the race to qualify for the second round. They bowled out Oman for just 47 runs.


England then scored 50-2 in 3.1 overs, with captain Jos Buttler remaining not out on 24 and Jonny Bairstow unbeaten on eight after hitting the winning boundary.

This Group B victory marked the largest win in T20 World Cup history in terms of balls remaining.

Oman struggled against England's bowling attack. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid took 4-11, while fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood each had figures of 3-12. The innings ended with nearly seven overs to spare.

Shoaib Khan (11) was the only Oman batsman to reach double figures after Buttler won the toss.

England's net run-rate improved to 3.081, better than Scotland's 2.16, though they remained third with three points, behind Scotland's five.

There is speculation that Australia, undefeated in Group B, might ease up in their final pool game against Scotland to eliminate England. Buttler's team will secure second place if they beat Namibia on Saturday.

Even with a win, England will have to wait for the outcome of Sunday's match between Australia and Scotland to know if they have reached the Super Eights.

"I thought the tone was set really well by the bowlers, picking up the early wickets," said Buttler. "Job done today, another big game in two days' time."

England's previous defeat by Australia increased pressure on Buttler and coach Matthew Mott, an Australian, following England's poor defence of their 50-over World Cup title in India last year.

"I've been around long enough to know how things work," said Buttler. "We have confidence. We can only focus on ourselves, we've got a huge game against Namibia."

Oman, already eliminated, lost all four of their games in the tournament. They narrowly avoided the record lowest completed total of 39 in a T20 World Cup, set by Uganda against West Indies last week.

"We couldn't do well in the batting, it was a big collapse," said Oman captain Aqib Ilyas. "Overall we couldn't do much. There are still many positives and you just have to get better and better. Once in a year you play against bowlers doing 150 kph (93 mph) plus."

Archer caused early damage with 2-12 in nine balls. Oman lost two wickets in Wood's first over, slumping to 25-4 in six overs. Buttler removed the bails to stump Khalid Kail off Rashid's first ball as wickets continued to fall.

Phil Salt hit the first two balls of England's chase for six, but was bowled off the third by Bilal Khan, setting England on their way.

(AFP)

More For You

Pakistan seeks £3.4bn bank loan to tackle mounting energy sector debt

Pakistan’s government is the largest shareholder or owner of most power companies

Pakistan seeks £3.4bn bank loan to tackle mounting energy sector debt

Eastern Eye

PAKISTAN government is negotiating a 1.25 trillion Pakistani rupee (£3.4 billion) loan with commercial banks to reduce its bulging energy sector debt, the power minister and banking association said.

Plugging unresolved debt across the sector is a top priority under an ongoing $7bn (£5.4bn) International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, which has helped Pakistan dig its way out of an economic crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less
LEAD Amit 1 INSET Rishi Sunak GettyImages 1258681655
Rishi Sunak
Getty Images

'I am English': Sunak asserts as ethnic minorities debate identity politics in Britain

FORMER prime minister Rishi Sunak has made cultural and sociological history by becoming the first prominent personality to say a brown person can be not only British, but also English.

He dismissed as “ridiculous” the suggestion from his former home secretary, Suella Braverman, that Englishness “must be rooted in ancestry, heritage, and, yes, ethnicity” – in other words, the person has to be white.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesco plans to give away expiring food in waste reduction trial

Tesco’s latest move comes as part of a broader effort by supermarkets to address this issue

Getty images.

Tesco plans to give away expiring food in waste reduction trial

In a groundbreaking move to reduce food waste, Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket chain, is set to trial a new initiative where expiring food will be given away to customers for free at the end of each day. This trial is part of Tesco’s wider strategy to cut food waste in half by the end of 2025 and contribute to the global push for sustainability. The initiative will involve offering already discounted "yellow sticker" items foods nearing their expiration date at no cost to customers after 21:30 in selected Tesco Express stores.

This plan has the potential to make a significant impact on food waste reduction, especially in the context of rising food insecurity and growing environmental concerns. The trial will be rolled out in a small number of Tesco Express stores across the UK, although the specific locations and start dates have not yet been disclosed. Tesco’s decision follows an ongoing commitment to sustainability and aims to address the dual challenges of food waste and food insecurity in the UK.

Keep ReadingShow less
Aamir Khan at 60: A to Z of Bollywood’s Mr Perfectionist

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan attends the launch ceremony of a film festival showing his movies ahead of his 60th birth anniversary in Mumbai on March 9, 2025.

Getty Images

Aamir Khan at 60: A to Z of Bollywood’s Mr Perfectionist

THE remarkable career of Aamir Khan has included record-breaking movies, an Oscar nomination, and memorable roles across a wide array of genres.

Known affectionately as Mr Perfectionist, he has firmly established himself as one of the finest stars in Bollywood history, alongside being a successful producer and a powerful role model. The actor will celebrate his 60th birthday on Friday (14), receiving well-wishes from around the world.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sara Sharif: Court upholds jail terms for relatives

Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik. (Image credit: Surrey Police)

Sara Sharif: Court upholds jail terms for relatives

https://www.easterneye.biz/sara-sharif-s-parents-appeal-life-sentences/A COURT on Thursday (13) upheld lengthy prison terms handed to the father and stepmother of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl who was killed after suffering years of torture and abuse.

The trial of Urfan Sharif and his wife Beinash Batool caused waves of revulsion in the country at the horrific way they had treated Sara Sharif.

Keep ReadingShow less