Associate Tri - Series Tournament Oman v Canada

Possibly a deciding game for one side.  Canada desperately need points as they near the end of their 36 game odessey to get to the next part of 2027 World Cup qualification.  Oman are in fourth position and want to consolidate that position with pressure coming from the Netherlands (who they meet in the UEAin the near future) and from Namibia who they are on a par with at the moment.  Both sides have failed to get past Nepal in this series and so will want to 'bounce back' into winning ways this morning. A coupleof changes in both sides with Canada going with a seam unit while Oman go with their spinners once again.  Canada have won the toss and decided to bat first.

CWC Tri-Tournament - Oman v Canada @ Al Amerat Muscat Thursday 15 October 2026

Canada have won the toss and have chosen to bat first this morning.  The Omani side sees one change as seamer Shah Faisal is replaced by spinner Nadeem Khan.

The Omani side is;

Jatinder Singh, Hasnain Ul Wahab, Karan Sonavale, Hammad Mirza, Mujibar Ali, Vinyak Shukla (c & W), Zakria Islam, Jay Odedra, Hassnain Shah, Shakeel Ahmed, Nadeem Khan 

Canada go into this one with Samit Gohel and Aaditya Hundal return after missing the Nepal game and they go with more pace as Kaleem Sana is brought into the bowling attack.

Aaron Johnson and Yuvraj Samra open for Canada against the new ball spine of Ahmed and Jay Odedra - there will be a lotof spin in the Omani attack today. Ahmed starts with a maiden while Odedra gives each bat a single to get them both off the mark and it is 2 for 0 after 2.  In the third Johnson goes into attacking mode - a bold plan against Shakeel he takes him for 2 consecutive sixes to set out his plan for the start of this innings, moving the score on to 15 after 3.

Samra looks to push on as well but he cuts the first ball of the fourth over straight to Mirza in the covers and departs for 2 only at 15 for 1 and Odedra strikes early.  In comes Gohel who is off and running fromhis first ball with a single.  Johnson continues to push on and he has moved to 21 from 14 after 5.  The Canadians have 27 for 1.  The power of Johnson is on show today and in the 8th over he brings up his side's 50 with his third six off Odedra straight down the ground.  He moves to 33 from 19 while his partner has a run a ball 15.  But if you live by the sword you can also die by it and the Canadian looks to play across the next ball and misses it.  He is bowled and leaves the middle with 33 to his name containing 2 fours and 3 sixes in the 20 balls he faced.  Canada are 50 for 2 and his place is taken by Hundal.  Odedra has 2 for 22 from his 4 overs.

Nadeem Khan has been introduced to allow a change of ends for Ahmed and he goes for 8 from his first.  Now Ahmed takes the 9th from the supporters stand end before Hassnain Shah is brought on for the last over of the 'Powerplay' at 55 for 2.  Canada end the first 10 at 58 for 2 with Hundal on 6 from 9 and Gohil on 17 from 20.

Hundal takes on Shah in the 12th but only succeeds inhitting the ball straight to Mirza at short cover and Canada are 60 for 3 with the departing bat taking 6 fromhis 14.  In comes Varadharajan to take his place.

There has not been a lot of turn so far in the game but the Omani plan is to take the pace off the ball and starve the Canadians of the big boundary shots.  It is strange that a side that struggles with games where they have to accumulate imposes the need for that very skill on their opponents so often.

After 15, Canada have 79 for 3 as Gohil takes the lead role in the innings.  Sonavale comes into the attack for the 17th.  After 20 overs they have moved to 95 for 3 with Gohil on the edge of the 40s.  Varadhrajan takes the single that moves Canada into 3 figures in the 22nd over off the bowing of Odedra who has loooked much more dangerous inthis game than in the Nepal match.

Samit Gohil has a significant record to his name.  In 2016 he carried his bat through a complete innings of a Ranji Trophy game for Gujarat scoring 359 not out.  He is the lead bat in the partnership at the moment though his partner Varadhrajan has produced the first six of the innings. However as they reach the halfway 25th over, it is Gohil on 47 from 59 who leads the way with his partner on 27 from 46 in the Canadian total of 116 for 3.

Gohil goes to a debut international 50 with 3 fours in 64 balls and the score on 122 for 3 in the 27th.  his team mates would probably like him to be still there when the game has moved in to the 40s in terms of overs - his job is only really half done at the moment if Canada want a BIG total for Oman to chase.

Oman want a wicket and they decide to bring back and bowl Odedra out in the 28th (his 9th over).  He finishes this one with 2 for 39 at 127 for 3 as we move towards the 30 over point.

Jay Odedra bowls out with the 30th over with decent figures of 2 for 46.  Canada go into the "downhill" part of the innings with 142 for 3 and a solid, well established partnership on the go.  Sami Gohil is leading from the front with 64 from 78 and is now being well supported by a more expansive Aaditya Varadhrajan who is starting to flow more with 34 from 57.  Together they must be hoping to remain in place so they can push this score into the high 200s from this point.  Oman could do with a wicket or two to re-establish their position in the innings.

The Canadian 150 arrives in the 32nd as Sonavale bowls his fourth and he breaks through as Gohil gets slightly under one he was not set for and Jatinder Singh takes an excellent diving catch in front of the scoreboard to send the bat on his way for 67 from 85 with 5 fours.  The Omani give the Sajid Khan salute in his usual extrovert style and the game moves on at 151 for 4 bringing Harsh Thaker to the crease, a player who has not yet stamped any kind of authority on this series with the bat.