Stoinis helps Australia to victory in World Cup opener
Australia overcame an early wobble to beat Oman comfortably by 39 runs in their opening match at the T20 World Cup in Barbados.
Australia were 50-3 in the ninth over when captain Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell fell in consecutive balls.
But Marcus Stoinis capitalised on being dropped on seven, 11 and 65 to club 67 not out from 35 balls and lift his side to 164-5.
He shared a stand of 102 with David Warner, who played the anchor role for 56 to begin what is set to be his final World Cup.
After Mitchell Starc struck in the first over, Stoinis then took 3-19 in the chase as Oman, beaten in a super over by Namibia in their first game, finished on 125-9.
The night was not without worry for Australia, however, with Starc leaving the field after one ball of his final over with an apparent calf issue.
Their next game is on Saturday against England – a crucial game for Jos Buttler’s side following their washout against Scotland on Tuesday.
In the World Cup’s other late game, Uganda achieved their first win at a World Cup by edging past Papua New Guinea by three wickets in Florida.
Frank Nsubuga, Uganda’s 43-year-old spinner, bowled the most economical four overs in T20 World Cup history – his two wickets cost only four runs – as the tournament debutants dismissed PNG for 77 in 19.1 overs.
They fell to 6-3 and 26-5 in pursuit but Riazat Ali Shah nudged 33 from 56 balls and Uganda edged to victory with 10 balls to spare.
Australia start well in Bridgetown
Australia are attempting to achieve the unique feat of holding all three men’s major trophies at the same time by adding the T20 World Cup to the 50-over title and the World Test Championship won last year.
Their quest began in uncertain fashion, their top order struggling on another tricky pitch, but in the end they ran out comfortable winners.
The wobble started when Travis Head hit left-armer Bilal Khan to mid-off for 12, before Mitchell Marsh was taken at long-on for 14 from 21 balls trying to break the shackles and Glenn Maxwell was caught athletically at extra cover by captain Aqib Ilyas for a first-ball duck.
What proved crucial were the drops of Stoinis. Australia were 77-3 in the 14th when wicketkeeper Pratik Athavale failed to grasp a thick edge off Ilyas’ leg-spin.
Stoinis, who later had Ilyas and Zeeshan Maqsood caught behind plus Mehran Khan taken at long-on, hit seamer Mehran for four sixes in the next over – an over which cost 26.
The first of those came when Ayaan Khan took a catch on the long-off boundary but backpedalled over the boundary.
In contrast to Stoinis’ powerful striking, Warner was relatively becalmed. He is set to retire from international duty after this tournament and his half-century took him beyond Aaron Finch, making him Australia’s all-time leading scorer in the format.
The target was always likely to be beyond Oman, even more so when Starc had opener Athavale lbw for a first-ball duck with a trademark inswinging yorker in the first over.
Starc, along with Test and 50-over captain Pat Cummins who was rested, arrived late in the Caribbean after taking part in the Indian Premier League and then being held up further by a delayed flight.
His injury, albeit possibly only cramp, will be a worry.
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