Latest News

Bowlers, Marsh orchestrate consolation Australia win

Published

3 weeks ago

2026/02/20

Priyan

Mitchell Marsh hit seven fours and four sixes en route to Australia's victory [Cricbuzz]

It was a result that one could have foreseen from a distance. As much as Oman have shown glimpses of their potential at this T20 World Cup, Australia were always going to be a difficult proposition, despite all the backlash surrounding their shocking early exit. And the 2021 champions brought the curtains down on a disappointing campaign with a resounding nine-wicket win over Oman in Pallekele on Friday (February 20).

After the Aussies elected to bowl first, Xavier Bartlett got the ball to hoop around, cleaning up Aamir Kaleem with a ripping outswinger off the first ball of the match. It was a sign of things to come as Australia struck twice more in the PowerPlay, even as Glenn Maxwell spilled a sitter at second slip to deny Bartlett a second in the opening over. Nathan Ellis got the ball to skid off a hard length as Karan Sonavale chopped it onto his stumps, before Bartlett castled Jatinder Singh with an away-swinger that then jagged back in upon pitching.

In between these wickets, Oman’s batters looked to remain positive in the PowerPlay and even closed out the phase with a six off Hammad Mirza’s bat. But soon enough, Adam Zampa spun a web around the rest of the batters, getting the ball to beat Mirza before delivering the sucker blow – a quicker one that skid quickly off the pitch to bowl him on the heave. A successful review then saw the leggie trap Mohammad Nadeem on the paddle-sweep and what ensued was a free fall, despite Wasim Ali mustering some sort of a fight with his 33-ball 32.

Australia’s players didn’t necessarily wear huge smiles, fittingly reflective of a team that had no business crashing out of the tournament as early as they have. But there were no issues in cleaning up the Oman lineup. So much so that for all his woes, Maxwell picked up a couple of wickets which included his 50th T20I scalp. Zampa completed the clean-up act with consecutive wickets as Jay Odedra holed out to long on, before last man Shafiq Jan went for a slog-sweep, only to see his furniture disturbed.

The Mitchell Marsh-Travis Head duo then picked up from where they left off against Sri Lanka. Three boundaries in the opening over set Marsh on his way before he slammed a six in the next. Head thrashed left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed for a couple of cracking boundaries before Marsh continued to butcher the ball. The duo brought up a second fifty-run stand in as many games, ending the PowerPlay on 73/0 as Marsh reached his half-century with a delightful extended loft over mid-off.

Australia were in a hurry as the boundaries kept coming at a blistering pace. There was one moment of excitement in an otherwise dull affair – Shakeel got Head to slog-sweep the ball a mile up on the leg-side before the bowler and wicket-keeper Vinayak Shukla both went for the catch. Neither called decisively and Shukla clung on despite a juggling act, taking off on a celebratory sprint and unleashing Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siuuu’ celebration. But it was all but the minutest deviation before the inevitable outcome of a whopping Australian win, with Josh Inglis sealing the deal with a boundary.

Australia got the job done with a whopping 62 deliveries to spare, catapulting their net run-rate above that of table-toppers Zimbabwe too. It counted for little, however, as they head home before the Super Eights.

Brief Scores:
Oman 104 in 16.2 overs (Jatinder Singh 17, Karan Sonavale 12, Hammad Mirza 16, Wasim Ali 32; Marcus Stoinis 1-16, Nathan Ellis 1-14, Adam Zampa 4-21, Glenn Maxwell 2-13, Xavier Bartlett 2-27) lost to Australia 108/1 in 9.4 overs (Mitchell Marsh 64*, Travis Head 32, Josh Inglis 12*; Shakeel Ahmed 1-29) by 9 wickets

[Cricbuzz]

All News Advertisement

Latest News

Committee on Economic Surveillance to be established

Published

48 mins ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President to appoint the Committee on Economic Surveillance headed by the Minister of Labour, Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando as the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning and comprised of the relevant heads of the Institutions and eminencies in the field to provide recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers on the essential policy precautions to be taken by constantly supervising the impact that can affect Sri Lankan economy due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Latest News

Nepal election 2026: Counting continues with rapper Balendra Shah’s party close to super-majority

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

[pic BBC]

Counting is continuing in Nepal as the party of rapper and ex-Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah is potentially just one seat away from winning a super-majority in parliament.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party‘s win would mark the first time in decades that a single party has won a majority in Nepal, which has a two-system format that makes it difficult for any one party to win outright

If the RSP secures a two-thirds majority, it would also be the first time in decades that a single party has achieved this

Latest News

Madagascar military leader dissolves government in surprise move

Published

4 hours ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

Col Michael Randrianirina seized power last October in the wake of youth-led protests [BBC]

Madagascar’s military ruler Col Michael Randrianirina has dissolved the government unexpectedly, dismissing the prime minister and the entire cabinet, according to a statement from his spokesperson.

“The government has ceased its functions” it said, adding that Randrianirina will appoint a new prime minister “in line with the provisions stipulated by the constitution”.

No reason was given for the move.

Randrianirina seized power last October from Andry Rajoelina, following weeks of youth-led protests on the Indian Ocean island. Rajoelina had been elected president for a third term in a disputed poll in 2023.

The demonstrations were over persistent power and water shortages, culminating in the army siding with the demonstrators.

Randrianirina has pledged to call new elections within two years.

Last December, the regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), directed Madagascar’s military authorities to submit a roadmap for restoring democracy including plans for fresh elections by the end of February.

But in a surprise on Monday, Randrianirina sacked his entire government and assigned permanent secretaries to run ministries’ day-to-day operations until a new cabinet is formed.

Randrianirina has not explained the motivation for the mass sackings, but leaders of the Gen Z movement, whose grassroots mobilisation helped bring the military leader to power, have called for more inclusiveness in the transition process and greater representation in decision-making structures.

Activist groups, calling themselves Gen Z and Gen Y movements, had recently issued a 72-hour ultimatum for Randrianirina’s resignation, citing frustration with his performance, local media reported.

Businessman Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo had been appointed prime minister in October in an effort to bridge the divide between military leadership and civilian government.

The the Gen Z movement leaders rejected his appointment at the time, saying it was made in a “non-transparent” manner and “without consultation”.

The group demanded to know how Rajaonarivelo was selected given what it said were his connection to the previous government.

They then said that the decision “runs contrary to the desired structural change” the movement was seeking.

Monday’s dissolution of the government could mark a significant shift in the country’s political landscape with the military leader seeking to establish a new administration.

[BBC]