ICC World Cup
England v Oman T20 World Cup preview
England continue their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign with a clash against 19th-ranked Oman in Antigua on Thursday.
With only two teams advancing from each group of five, England can’t afford any more mistakes against the so-called “weaker” nations. After their opening Scotland game was called off due to weather and a loss to Australia, this match against Oman is a must-win.
We preview the action below.
England v Oman – Thursday 20:00
England’s bid to defend their T20 World title in the Caribbean this month has not started as they would have hoped. Their opening game against Scotland was abandoned due to rain, resulting in both teams sharing a point. England’s luck didn’t improve in the second game, as they suffered a loss to Australia by a comfortable 36 runs.
Despite the result, opening batsmen Phil Salt and Jos Buttler started the chase well, displaying positive play with some impressive shots. Salt and Buttler had decent strike rates of 160.9 and 150, respectively, against a barrage of tough bowling. Facing the less-experienced Oman bowling outfit should be less challenging, increasing the likelihood of the English openers to both celebrate half-centuries in this game, with odds boosted from 17/2 to 10/1.
The English middle order struggled against Australia, contributing little to the scoreboard. Will Jacks and Jonny Bairstow managed only 17 runs between them during a crucial part of the chase. For England to compete with the top teams in this tournament, their whole batting order needs to be more productive. The opening batsmen appeared to be in the best form, and against Oman, they will have the first opportunity to capitalise on a relatively inexperienced T20 side. Phil Tufnell predicts that Jos Buttler will be England’s top run scorer, with odds boosted to 5/2.
England are overwhelming 1/33 favourites to win against Oman, but they need to boost their net run rate to catch up with Scotland and Australia and advance from the group so we can expect some aggressive batting and fast scoring. The odds for England to hit the most sixes and for Adil Rashid to be the top England bowler have been boosted to 10/3.
Slower bowlers are thriving on the worn Caribbean tracks, so keep an eye on England’s spin trio of Adil Rashid (13/5), Liam Livingstone (9/2), and Moeen Ali (24/5) when choosing the top England bowler against Oman.
Any chance of an Oman upset?
Oman, a relatively new international T20 side, played their first game in 2015. Their performance in the opening game of this tournament highlighted their current level, as Scotland comfortably chased down Oman’s total within 13.1 overs, winning by 7 wickets. However, there were positives for Oman, with wicketkeeper and opening batsman Pratik Athavale scoring an impressive half-century. Athavale is 16/5 to be Oman’s top batsman and 13/2 to score another 50, this time against England.
Another player to watch is all-rounder Aayan Khan, who has scored 92 runs across Oman’s first three matches in this World Cup. Batting at number six, he is likely to feature against England. Khan could make a significant impact again, and at 17/2, there is value in him to be Oman’s top batsman.
