DHARMSALA: Oman's Ajay Lalcheta, left and Munis Ansari react after they won the ICC World Twenty20 2016 cricket tournament against Ireland
at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in Dharmsala, India, yesterday. Oman won by two wickets. – AP

DHARAMSALA:  World Twenty20 debutants Oman stunned Ireland by two wickets in a thrilling last-over finish yesterday with lower-order batsman Aamer Ali's 32-run blitz achieving the target with two balls to spare. Oman openers Zeeshan Maqsood and Khawal Ali provided a 69-run opening stand only to see the middle-order give it away with the side reeling at 90 for five after 14 overs.

Aamer, who hit five boundaries and a six in his 17-ball stay, then stitched a crucial sixth-wicket stand with Jatinder Singh as Irish medium-pacer Max Sorensen failed to stop 14 runs from the last over. It was indeed a great achievement for the Sultan Ahmed-led side, which mostly consists of Indian and Pakistani expats. "We were trying to get boundaries every over. We have done a lot of hard work before coming to the World Cup, and finally it has paid off," 37-year-old Ali told cricinfo.com through a translator.

DHARMSALA: Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman, right, tries to field a ball from Peter Borren of the Netherlands during the ICC World Twenty20
2016 cricket tournament at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium in Dharmsala, India, yesterday. – AP

Earlier, Bangladesh secured a narrow win against a spirited Netherlands. Opener Tamim Iqbal struck an unbeaten 83 before the bowlers secured an  eight-run win. Put into bat, Bangladesh suffered from a lack of partnerships but Tamim, with his fourth T20 half-century, almost single-handedly lifted the score to 153 for seven. It was a disappointing show of batting from a side which sparkled in the recently concluded Asia Cup, where the hosts ended runners-up after a keenly contested final against India.

Tamin though remained unaffected with the wicket-fall as the left-hander smacked six boundaries and three sixes during his 58-ball stay. The Dutch batsmen also put up a brave show to give Bangladesh a run for their money but ultimately experience prevailed and the minnows were restricted to 145 for seven in their 20 overs. Mashrafe Morataza-led Bangladesh are favourites to top their group and move into the Super 10 stage of the 16-team event. Scotland will play Zimbabwe, while Afghanistan are slated to meet Hong Kong in the two Group B matches on Thursday. - AFP