MUSCAT: Oman clinched a hard-fought 2-run victory over Qatar on the final day of the  GCC Women’s T20i Championship Cup at the Oman Cricket Academy on March  26, 2022. They ended the tournament in 2nd place. 

Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Oman made 97/8 after 20 overs.  Skipper Vaishali Jesrani was the only batter to cross the 20-run mark. Fiza Javed,  Saya Channa and Amanda Dcosta chipped in with scores of 13, 13 and 12 respectively. 

The visitors were energetic in the field, but Oman paid the price for their  indecisive strike rotation throughout the game. Qatar inflicted a total of four  run-outs in the first innings. Saachi Dhadwal, Hiral Agarwal, Rochelle Sherlene  Quyn and Aysha, with 1 wicket apiece, administered the other dismissals. 

Qatar fell agonizingly short in the second phase of the match. Captain Aysha led  the scoring for her side with a 25-ball 24. At the 14-over mark, her 41-run  partnership with Saachi Dhadwal, who made 18 runs herself, looked to be  enough to steer the visitors to victory. 

However, Priyanka Mendonca picked up 3 key wickets in the space of 2 overs to  turn the tide back in Oman’s favor. With 10 runs needed off the final 6 balls,  Saya Channa held her nerve and secured the win for the hosts. Snehal Nair,  Amanda Dcosta and Saya Channa accounted for Oman’s remaining scalps.  

In the day’s other game, the UAE cemented their spot at the top of the standings with a dominant 210-run victory over Bahrain. 

Batting first after winning the toss, the UAE openers forged a 193-run  partnership in 16 overs to turn the remainder of the contest into a formality.  Kavisha Egodage was dismissed for 67 runs but Esha Oza continued the carnage.  Her unbeaten 71-ball 158 – the second highest-individual score in Women’s T20i  history, powered the UAE to 253/1 after 20 overs. 

In response, Bahrain were bowled out in 16 overs for 43 runs, 25 of which  belonged to opener Tharanga Gajanayake. Lavanya Keny was the pick of the UAE  bowlers. She claimed 4 wickets while giving away just 3 runs. 

Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain settled on 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th spot respectively, with net  run rate separating all of them. Saudi Arabia were unable to pick up any points  in the competition and finished last.  

All in all, the GCC Women’s T20i Championship Cup succeeded in providing  game time at the top level to all sides competing. In addition, the matches were broadcasted live, serving to garner further exposure for the women’s  game in the Gulf.  

BRIEF SCORES: 

Oman 97/8 in 20 overs (Vaishali Jesrani 23(33) ; Rochelle Quyn 13/1) beat Qatar  95/8 in 20 overs (Aysha 24(25) 2 x 4 ; Priyanka Mendonca 11/3) by 2 runs 

UAE 253/1 in 20 overs (Esha Oza 158(71) 22 x 4, 6 x 6 Kavisha Egodage 67(45) 10  x 4) beat Bahrain 43/10 in 16 overs (Tharanga Gajanayake 25(45) 3 x 4 ; Lavanya  Keny 3/4) by 210 runs