Oman Women held their nerve in a thrilling low-margin contest to edge past Qatar Women in the 2nd T20I at Doha, delivering a match that perfectly captured the rising competitiveness of Associate women’s cricket. In a game filled with momentum swings, crucial partnerships, and disciplined bowling spells, both sides traded blows right until the final over, making this Oman Women vs Qatar Women T20I clash a gripping spectacle for fans following emerging teams in international cricket.
Oman Women’s innings was built around a commanding opening partnership that laid the foundation for their competitive total. Jayadhanya Gunasekar and Nitya Joshi stitched together a fluent 95-run stand, rotating strike smartly while punishing loose deliveries. Gunasekar led the charge with a well-paced 62 off 50 balls, striking seven boundaries and anchoring the innings through the middle overs.
Joshi complemented her perfectly with a steady 38 off 38 deliveries, ensuring Oman maintained a healthy run rate without taking excessive risks. The partnership was finally broken at 1-95 in the 11.6th over when Khadija Imtiaz provided the breakthrough, triggering a brief collapse. Qatar Women seized momentum through Amina Kashif, who turned the tide with a decisive spell of 3/32. She dismissed Sameera Khan for a duck at 2-98 and quickly followed up with the wicket of Fiza Javed at 3-98, putting Oman under pressure.
Nitya Joshi’s departure at 4-126 further slowed the scoring rate, but captain Priyanka Mendonca (18* off 21) and Javed Hina (8* off 10) ensured a composed finish, guiding Oman to 140/4 in 20 overs. Supporting efforts from Maria Jacob, Aysha, Shahreen Bahadur, and Getrude Chandiru kept the run flow in check during different phases, while Khadija Imtiaz’s 1/26 added valuable control in the middle overs.
Chasing a competitive target, Qatar Women began brightly with an aggressive opening stand between Rizpha Bano Emmanuel and Getrude Chandiru. The duo added 72 runs for the first wicket, putting Oman’s bowlers under pressure early. Rizpha led the charge with a brisk 39 off 30 balls, striking seven boundaries before a sharp run-out ended her innings at 1-72 in the 8.5th over. Chandiru then anchored the chase, crafting a patient 44 from 47 deliveries and building partnerships with Christeena Jacob (19 off 19) and Aysha, keeping Qatar within reach of the target.
Oman’s bowling unit, however, showcased remarkable discipline during the middle overs. Jayadhanya Gunasekar complemented her batting heroics with the ball, returning figures of 1/27, while Priyanka Mendonca struck a crucial blow by dismissing Aysha to break a developing stand. Tight fielding led to multiple runouts, including key dismissals of Khadija Imtiaz and Krisheta Sarvanakumar, which shifted momentum back towards Oman. Sushanthika Sathiya and Fiza Javed kept things tight with economical spells, conceding just 27 and 19 runs respectively, while Afida Afthab and Alifiya Sayed chipped in with support overs.
As the match moved into the death overs, Qatar required a late surge, but Oman’s bowlers held their composure. The fall of wickets at 3-118, 4-118, and later 6-136 ensured the chase never truly gained control. Despite late resistance from the lower order, Qatar Women finished at 138/7 in 20 overs, falling just short in a nail-biting finish that highlighted the fine margins of T20 cricket.
Jayadhanya Gunasekar’s all-round brilliance, scoring 62 and taking 1/27, earned her the Player of the Match award and proved decisive in Oman Women’s narrow victory. With competitive performances from both teams, the encounter stands as another exciting chapter in the growth of Associate women’s cricket, showcasing skill, resilience, and the evolving depth of the women’s game.
