Australia (164/5) registered a 39-run victory against Oman (125/9) at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday to get their campaign underway. Ask to bat first, Australia posted 164 runs, thanks to Marcus Stoinis (67/36) and David Warner’s (56/51) fifties.
Oman started well, restricting Aussies to 50 for 3 in 9 overs. They showed grit and determination in all aspects of the match, but Stoinis and Warner were too good to get into trouble.
The Scorecard
Australia came all guns blazing in the second innings, with Mitchell Starc (2/20) giving a breakthrough right in the first over. Oman tried to close down the chase but ultimately had to bow down to a much more experienced and superior team.
Australia will be satisfied with their victory but would’ve hoped for a confident performance from their batters. Oman would be proud of their performance but still has miles to go neck-to-neck with big teams.
Here are five moments that defined the match:
Stoinis’s acceleration
Australia were going at below 6 runs an over for the first half of their innings and looked under supreme pressure from the Oman bowlers. With David Warner struggling at one end, one batter had to raise the tempo, and Stoinis rose to the occasion. The Australian all-rounder struck four sixes in the 15th over to change the game’s momentum. 
The Hulk finish
David Warner scored a fifty but was not at his usual best. Stoinis rose to the occasion and amassed 16 and 17 runs in the 17th and 19th over to give Australia a good defendable total.
Mitchell Starc’s swinging start
With 164 runs to defend, Australia needed a good start, which Mitchell Starc gave. He sent back Pratik Athawale on the 3rd ball of the match, to set the tone. When he came back for his second spell, he took another wicket. However, his injury is going to be a big talking point now.
Stoinis all-round show
Marcus Stoinis was the show’s star in the first inning, but he performed even better in the second inning. The Aussie all-rounder used the slowness of the pitch to perfection and took an important wicket in the last over of powerplay to dismantle Oman’s top order. Stoinis finished the game with two wickets and was the star of the show.
Zampa and Ellis’ perfect supporting role
Australia could easily defend 164 because of Nathan Ellis’s (2/28) and Adam Zampa’s (2/24) economic bowling. The duo built extreme pressure in the middle overs and never let Oman score freely. Zampa finished the match with two wickets, while Ellis finished the game with one wicket to complete the domination.
Australia struggled heavily in the batting but ultimately completed an easy win. They won’t be completely satisfied, but they would be happy with Warner getting some runs. They will now play against England on June 8, where odds for them are at 1.9x rate. Oman played well in both games so far, but batting wasn’t up to the mark. They will now face Scotland on June 9.
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