By Daniel Beswick
A stunning home stand from Oman has added another dimension to the League 2 race on the path to Cricket World Cup 2027.
In spite of missing regular captain Aqib Ilyas among other players, the men from the sultanate went four wins from four matches in their recent tri-series with The Netherlands and United Arab Emirates, capping off the home stand with a last-gasp one-run win over the Dutch.
Oman v Netherlands | Match Highlights | ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2
In a defiant defence of 155 at the Academy Ground in Al-Amerat, Oman tied their opponents up with spin as slow bowlers claimed all 10 wickets.
Aamir Kaleem’s 4/24 (10) led the group, with Shakeel Ahmad bowling five maidens to finish with 2/15 (10), and Siddharth Bukkapatnam's 2/23 (9) joining in to stifle their opponents. Having watched his spinners' success, stand-in captain Jatinder Singh threw the ball to Karan Sonavale with the Dutch requiring just two runs, and the decision paid dividends when Dutch No.11 holed out to Muzahir Raza to spark Omani celebrations.
Oman v Netherlands Scorecard
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The victory means just a one-win gap is the difference between spots one to five on the table, with the top four teams at the end of the cycle claiming automatic spots for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Cricket World Cup League 2 Standings
Here's how the teams stand so far:
1st: USA – 16 points (8 wins, 4 losses)
While the Americans enjoy top spot on the League 2 table, an average recent home series in Dallas spoiled what could have been an even stronger start to their campaign.
All seemed in order after a perfect tri-series in September, claiming maximum points against UAE and Namibia, though their two from four performance at Grand Prairie Stadium has pulled them back closer to the rest of the field.
The side dropped four points to Scotland, losing their first encounter of the tri-series by 10 wickets, and their third match against the same opponents after leaking 317/5 with the ball. Their two wins over Nepal in the tri-series moved them back to top of the table, though the direction of the side following Stuart Law's departure as coach is unclear.
In spite of the unknowns, the Americans are blessed by a wealth of individual talent by Associate international standards, and should feel confident in pressing for top spot. The side boast three of the top nine run-scorers in the competition thus far (Monank Patel, Milind Kumar and Sai Mukkamalla) and three of the 11 players to have taken more than 15 wickets in the competition (Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley van Schalkwyk and Jessy Singh).
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2nd: Canada – 16 points (8 wins, 4 losses)
After promotion from the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off last year, it’s been a strong start for the Canadians, who too have seen changes in the background.
The side made a stunning first impression in the cycle, beating opening tri-series hosts UAE twice in Dubai and accounting for defending League 2 champions Scotland, chasing targets in three of the four outings. The side will rue dropping all four matches in their second tri-series, a challenging tour of The Netherlands which also included the Americans, but hit back with a perfect home tri-series against Oman and Nepal in September.
Fast bowling all-rounder Dilon Heyliger stands as an early Player of the Tournament candidate, four wickets clear on the competition tally, as well as chipping in with 161 runs in seven knocks as a late-over hitter. The side have matched the tournament's best with the bat thanks to Harsh Thaker, Pargat Singh and Nicholas Kirton, the latter in arguably his best run in Canadian colours.
Canada v Nepal | Match Highlights | CWC League 2
3rd: Scotland – 14 points (6 wins, 3 losses, 2 no results)
Seemingly against some strange cricketing curse of poor weather following them, Richie Berrington's Scotland have shown enough in the new cycle to suggest a top-four finish and a successful League 2 title defence is within their grasp.
Rain curtailed a near-certain victory against Oman in July, the only point they dropped in a home tri-series also containing Namibia. The side also missed a chance to go three from four in their recent tri-series in Dallas, with their final match against Nepal also washed out.
Brandon McMullen has starred in the campaign with both bat and ball, taking 12 wickets at 18.75 on top of his 348 runs at 43.50. George Munsey averages over 50 and boasts a strike rate of over 100 to begin the campaign, with Berrington himself averaging 54.60, though what could be more encouraging is the impact of newer faces with the bat.
Youngster Charlie Tear's 237 runs comes at a tick under 40, while Andrew Umeed, back in Scotland's white-ball plans, averages 46 to begin his campaign.
The side will continue to face challenges in terms of availability with fixtures held during the UK summer, though it’s also worth noting the side do have a match in hand with a postponed fixture against UAE to be played at a later date.
Charlie Cassell picked 7/21 on debut
4th: Netherlands – 14 points (7 wins, 5 losses)
The Dutch knew they would have their work cut out for them even after famous wins at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, and the early view is that an automatic Qualifier spot is no guarantee for Scott Edwards’ team.
Netherlands v UAE | Match Highlights | ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2
The men in orange will rue a poor Oman leg in the recent fortnight, dropping three out of four matches and far from their best, failing to counter spinners on slow Middle-Eastern wickets. Looking ahead though, the side only face similar conditions in their last of their nine tri-series of the campaign, when they travel to UAE in December 2026.
The Dutch have the opportunity to make a push early next year, playing their 12-match block in 2025 from March to May, travelling to Namibia before a home stand and then a series in Scotland on decks likely to be more conducive to their success.
Even with issues of availability through domestic cricket likely to impede the team, their best should be enough for a top-four spot when the dust settles at the end of the campaign.
5th: Oman – 14 points (6 wins, 4 losses, 2 no results)
On the flip side to The Netherlands, Oman have made a big move in the recent home tri-series, winning all four matches to go from near cellar-dwellers to top four hopefuls.
The catalyst for the uptick in form is arguably a shuffle of personal, with a handful of changes and new blood to a team desperate for fresh legs.
UAE v Oman | Match Highlights | ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2
An influx of spin talent has propelled the team, in large part thanks to Shakeel Ahmed, who has claimed 17 wickets at just 10.94 in seven outings. The side are looking for better output from their batters around Aqib Ilyas once he returns to the side, though two half centuries for the returning Jatinder Singh in tough conditions at leat shows a path to success.
6th: Namibia – 10 points (5 wins, 7 losses)
It's been an upside-down campaign for Namibia thus far, dropping three of four home matches in their campaign, failing to cash in on a start of three wins in their first four matches claimed back in February on a tour of Nepal. In between the side also went one from four on a tour of Scotland, meaning the team are two wins behind a top-four spot having watched Oman win four on the trot elsewhere.
While struggling for consistency with the bat, their victory over UAE at the end of their recent home leg suggests stability in the order could be around the corner, should the likes of Michael van Lingen and JP Kotze become regular contributors. Gerhard Erasmus' modest numbers by his standards still places him as the equal sixth-highest run-scorer of the competition, and the return of Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton helps the side with bat and ball.
Despite the slow start with the ball, the development of their younger players, particularly in the fast bowling stocks, points to stronger performances as the tournament goes on.
Jack Brassell and Ben Shikongo should only build on their solid international career starts, while left-armer Junior Kariata is another quick likely to see a bigger workload as the tournament goes on.
Namibia v UAE | Match Highlights | CWC League 2
7th: Nepal – 6 points (2 wins, 8 losses, 2 no results)
Losing three of their opening four home matches in the campaign, and collecting just a solitary win away from home thus far, it will once again be an uphill climb for the Nepalis in the second edition of Cricket World Cup League 2
They'd only need to look at the last League 2 cycle if they're needing any inspiration of a potential dream run however, having won 13 of the last 14 ODIs of the competition, sneaking past Namibia to move straight to the Qualifier in the last campaign.
Having utilised over 30 players in the last cycle in which they farewelled greats like Paras Khadka, Sharad Vesawkar and Gyanendra Malla, the new wave of Nepali talent unearthed should enjoy an even longer stint in the team, but there must be an uptick in form should they make a tournament move.
The Nepalis host Oman and UAE in 2025 and should be targeting maximum points, though difficult trips to Scotland and UAE await Rohit Paudel's team in the next calendar year.
8th: United Arab Emirates – 4 points (2 wins, 9 losses)
Essentially handing the rest of the League 2 field a headstart when they were ambushed by Canada and Scotland in Dubai to begin their campaign, the Emiratis are perhaps lucky only to be five wins back from automatic World Cup Qualifier spots thanks to a little help from neighbours Oman and their recent run.
Shortcomings have been found mostly on the batting side, with newcomer Rahul Chopra the only player boasting more than 250 runs to his name. His figure puts him at 19th in run-scorers in the current cycle, though his average of 23.63 only underlines the side's frailties.
On the bowling side there have been positives through the likes of Junaid Siddique, Ayaan Afzal Khan and Ali Naseer, though pressure on opposition will only come with more runs to play with.
The Emiratis also have a match in hand, though it is against an imposing Scottish side and by no means a certainty for competition points.
UAE v Netherlands | Match Highlights | ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2
League 2 action resumes in Oman in January 2025, hosting Namibia and the USA.
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