The T20 World Cup 2021 gets underway with a double header on Sunday and it begins with one of the host nations of the first round of the competition in action when Oman take on Papua New Guinea in what is a huge clash for both countries.
Even before we go into what effect this match will have on their qualifying chances, these two sides are competing in their first global tournament and are doing so to a huge audience in what is the biggest day in the cricketing history of both teams. With Bangladesh and Scotland in the group though you sense this is must win for both.
Oman
You have to give enormous credit to Oman for making it to this stage but given the preparation they have put into this tournament there is a sense that they are not resting on their laurels now that they have made it through, rather they are here to do some damage. It remains to be seen if qualifying for the Super 12 is a realistic ambition or whether simply winning a match and being competitive in the other two would be a good achievement though.
You get the feeling that if Oman are to do some damage in this group phase then they are going to need their big players to step up and be counted, especially with the ball. You often find the minnows in these tournaments are competitive with the bat in hand but when they have the ball in hand if they get it slightly wrong they can go round the park. A big crowd will be in for this one so the Oman players will have plenty of reasons to put on a show.
Papua New Guinea
It isn’t just Oman who deserve credit for making it to this stage, the same applies to Papua New Guinea who are another team who are looking to show the world what they are about, and the beauty of this tournament is that they get three chances to do just that. They will need to improve on their showings in the warm up matches though. They were beaten fairly comfortably by Ireland and Sri Lanka, although Oman don’t look to be at that level.
It was with the bat where Papua New Guinea struggled in those matches. Whether it was the quality of bowling that they are not exposed to very often or the nature of the wickets which caused that remains to be seen but clearly they are going to need their batsmen to come to the party if they are going to win this match. They also need to make sure they keep their discipline and intensity with the ball as you often find with these lesser sides that when they start to lose the plot matches get away from them very quickly.
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Key Men
Captains are always important in T20 cricket but especially in the opening match of a huge event like this so Oman will be looking for their leader Zeeshan Maqsood to stand up and be counted with the bat and in the field.
The same applies to Papua New Guinea where Assad Vala is so important to their chances. He nailed a 50 with the bat against Sri Lanka in the latest warm up match and he bowls as well so if he has a big game the pacific islanders have a chance.
Betting
It is the Papua New Guinea captain who I’m looking at with regards to a bet in this opening game. Assad Vala is experienced enough and good enough to put on a good display in this first match. He didn’t just hit 50 against Sri Lanka in a warm up match, and that was against a full strength Sri Lanka attack as well, but he smashed 50 against Scotland earlier in the month so he appears to be in excellent form with the bat which is a positive for him and his PNG side.
He is also contributing strongly with the ball as well and you would think with all the matches being played in this tournament and in the heat these games will be played in that spin is going to be a big thing here. His off spin therefore comes right into the game and as captain you would imagine he will be fielding in the key positions around the bat as well. I think when you put it all together there is a good chance that he covers his performance target of 35.5 points.
Tips
Back A.Vala’s Performance – Over 35.5pts for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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