Sri Lanka A vs Oman
T20 World Cup warm-up matches produced contrasting results as Aamer Kaleem powered Oman to victory while Zimbabwe registered a convincing win over Netherlands.
After choosing to bat, Sri Lanka A struggled to build momentum despite a brisk start from opener Dulnith Selgara, who scored 20 off 14 deliveries. Oman’s disciplined bowling attack kept the scoring in check, striking at regular intervals. A late unbeaten cameo of 24 from Chamindu Wickramasinghe helped Sri Lanka A reach 145 for 9 by the end of their 20 overs.
Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmed, and Jay Odedra led the bowling effort for Oman, picking up two wickets each in a well-controlled performance.
In reply, Oman lost wickets steadily, with the chase hinging on Kaleem’s composed innings. The left-hander, opening the batting, struck a fluent 80 off 47 balls, including eight fours and three sixes, anchoring the innings under pressure. Sri Lanka A’s left-arm spinner Wanuja Sahan impressed with figures of 3 for 22, but Oman found stability through wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla, whose unbeaten 39 guided the team home with two overs remaining.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka A 145/9 (20 overs)
Oman 146/5 (18 overs)
Oman won by 5 wickets
Zimbabwe vs Netherlands
Zimbabwe marked their return to the T20 World Cup stage with a convincing 29-run win over Netherlands in their warm-up clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
After opting to bat first, Zimbabwe relied on quick runs at the top from Dion Myers, who smashed 32 off just 14 balls. The innings was held together by Ryan Burl, whose unbeaten 50 from 31 deliveries provided stability in the middle overs. Useful contributions from Brad Evans and Tony Munyonga pushed Zimbabwe to a competitive total of 178 for 9.
For the Netherlands, Logan van Beek was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets to keep the total within reach.
However, the Dutch chase faltered almost immediately. Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava struck twice in the opening over, dismissing Max O’Dowd and Bas de Leede without scoring. Netherlands never fully recovered despite skipper Scott Edwards making 26, while Van Beek added some late runs in a losing cause.
Ngarava finished with three wickets, while spinners Graeme Cremer and Wellington Masakadza picked up two each as Zimbabwe closed out a dominant all-round performance.
Zimbabwe’s all-round display in this T20 World Cup warm-up highlighted their readiness for the global event.
Brief Scores:
Zimbabwe 178/9 (20 overs)
Netherlands 149 (20 overs)
Zimbabwe won by 29 runs
