Oman Women held their nerve to clinch the Women’s T20I Triangular Series title with a hard‑fought 13‑run win over Qatar Women at Al Amerat, defending a modest total of 127. The final swung several times across 40 overs, but the hosts’ discipline at the death separated the sides on a slow, holding surface.
Asked to bat, Oman were rocked early before Jayadhanyh Gunasekar produced a measured half‑century that became the spine of their innings. Coming in when the score was wobbling, she played the situation rather than the format, working gaps, running hard, and only occasionally releasing pressure with boundaries in her 56 off 61 balls. Her calm presence allowed brief cameos from Nitya Joshi and others to push Oman to 127 for 6, a total that looked slightly under‑par but at least gave the bowlers something tangible to work with.
The game turned in the space of a few overs as Qatar’s bowlers tightened the screws and found just enough assistance from the surface. Lihara Ayeysekara struck the key blows in the middle overs, removing the well‑set Gunasekar earlier in the day and then returning with figures of 2 for 25 in her four overs, using changes of pace and fuller lengths to deny Qatar the big over they desperately needed. Aysha backed her up with 1 for 10 from two tidy overs, ensuring that Qatar went through a long stretch without a boundary as the asking rate crept beyond control.
Qatar’s reply began watchfully, as the openers respected the new ball and the slow nature of the pitch. Shrutiben Rana, the right‑hander who has been Qatar’s batting mainstay all series, anchored the chase with a patient 57* off 58 balls, mixing risk‑free rotation with the odd release shot when Oman’s lengths erred. At 80 for 2, Qatar appeared to have the chase under control, with wickets in hand and the asking rate manageable.
Needing 39 from the final three overs, Qatar were forced out of their comfort zone and into strokes that were never quite on. Oman’s death bowlers held their lines commendably, mixing wide yorkers with chest‑high back‑of‑a‑length balls, and the fielders backed them with sharp work on the rope to keep everything inside the circle to twos at best. Qatar eventually closed on 114 for 4, a scoreline that underlined how their caution early and lack of acceleration in the middle had left too much to do at the end.
For Oman, the victory was as much about character as it was about skill. They had already beaten Qatar earlier in the tournament, but to repeat the feat in a final under lights, in front of a home crowd expecting a trophy, demanded composure from a relatively young side. Gunasekar’s Player‑of‑the‑Match‑style effort with the bat and Ayeysekara’s incisive spell embodied that temperament, while the collective calm in the field suggested a group beginning to believe it can compete consistently at this level.
In contrast, Qatar will look back at this final as a missed opportunity that slipped away in the grey area between intent and execution. Rana’s lone hand with the bat and Amanda D’Costa’s 2 for 17 with the ball gave them strong platforms at both ends of the match, but the supporting cast never quite matched those contributions.
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