MUSCAT (Oman): Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood returned bowling figures of 4-20 to set up a 10-wicket win for hosts Oman in the Twenty20 World Cup opener against debutants Papua New Guinea on Sunday.
Maqsood’s four wickets, including three in one over, kept PNG to 129 for nine in the first round match at the Al Amerat ground outside Muscat.
Openers Aqib Ilyas (50 from 43 balls) and Jatinder Singh (73 from 42) then clattered the PNG bowlers around the ground without being parted to steer Oman home with 6.2 overs to spare, handing Papua New Guinea a tough lesson in their first ever World Cup outing.
Maqsood remained the hero with his left-arm spin as he struck thrice in one over to rattle PNG who had lost both their openers for nought.
