Stoinis shines as Australia ease past Oman in T20 World Cup opener

RANDY BROOKS/ AFP

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis scored an unbeaten 67 and took three wickets as Australia recorded a comfortable 39-run win over Oman in their Twenty20 World Cup opener in Barbados on Wednesday.

Put into bat after losing the toss, the test and one-day world champions had a shaky start, losing Travis Head early on before Oman's Mehran Khan struck twice in two balls to claim the wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell.

Stoinis's arrival brought some stability and he combined for a 102-run partnership with opener David Warner (56), which took Australia past the 150-run mark.

The 34-year-old also had a significant impact with the ball, taking the wickets of Oman captain Aqib Ilyas and batter Zeeshan Maqsood.

"Yeah it was a nice start. Maybe a few cobwebs for us but we're better for it, and nice that we got the win," Stoinis, named the Player of the Match, said. "And nice that I got to spend some time in the middle and have a bit of a bowl."

Earlier on Wednesday, Uganda scored their first-ever victory in a Twenty20 World Cup after beating Papua New Guinea by three wickets in a low-scoring match in Guyana.

The African side bowled out their opponents for 77, before Riazat Ali Shah's calculated knock of 33 helped them chase down the target with 10 balls remaining.

"Super proud of the work they put in. To get a win for their country at a World Cup, it is pretty special," Uganda captain Brian Masaba said.

"It has been quite a journey. Three to four years of very, very hard work, by the players and the board back home."

Meanwhile, Uganda won their first ever T20 World Cup match with a three-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea at Providence Stadium on Wednesday.

They bowled out PNG for 77 and after a poor start, reached the target in 18.2 overs with Riazat Ali Shah top-scoring with 33.

More from Sports News

  • Djokovic quells Alcaraz challenge to reach Australian Open semis

    Novak Djokovic beat young rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 in a battle worthy of a title clash to charge into the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday and remain in the hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

  • Dupont back to Six Nations to inspire France

    Antoine Dupont will make a much-awaited return to the Six Nations after a one-year hiatus that cemented his status as one of France's top athletes, hoping Les Bleus can win the tournament on the back of a perfect autumn series.

  • Zverev raises game to overcome Tommy Paul in Melbourne

    Alexander Zverev played his best tennis when it mattered most to down Tommy Paul 7-6(1) 7-6(0) 2-6 6-1 on Tuesday and reach his third Australian Open semi-final in five years, keeping alive his dream of finally landing a Grand Slam title.

  • Sabalenka safely through to semis, Badosa downs Gauff

    Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open with a battling 6-2 2-6 6-3 win over Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova while Spain's Paula Badosa stunned error-prone third seed Coco Gauff 7-5 6-4.

  • Dubai Capitals stun The Desert Vipers

    The Desert Vipers' undefeated streak finally came to an end on Monday, as the Dubai Capitals delivered a stunning six-wicket victory at the Dubai International Stadium.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio