Australia sign off with commanding win

Australia celebrate after winning the T20 World Cup cricket match (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Australia delivered a clinical bowling performance to dismantle Oman for 104 in 16.2 overs in Pallekele on Friday, before captain Mitchell Marsh 64* off 33 balls (7x4, 4x6) and Travis Head 32 off 19 balls (6x4) chased down the target with blistering authority, sealing the win in just 9.4 overs. In doing so, they posted the joint-fastest 100+ chase in T20 World Cups. The emphatic 9-wicket triumph sees Australia bow out of this showpiece tournament on a commanding note, a performance that arrived frustratingly late.

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The tone was set early by pacer Xavier Bartlett, who struck with his very first delivery to castle Aamir Kaleem. It sparked a remarkable sequence: the first four Oman wickets were all bowled, underlining Australia’s precision and discipline. Bartlett removed Jatinder Singh for 17 after the Oman skipper had briefly counterpunched with three crisp boundaries. Karan Sonavale and Hammad Mirza threatened in short bursts, but Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa ensured neither could convert their starts. Wasim Ali mounted the lone resistance for Oman, contributing 32 off 33 (4x4) in a determined rear-guard effort. However, he lacked support. Zampa claimed 4/21 to stub out the lower order, while Glenn Maxwell’s offspinners yielded 2/13. This was the fourth time in a T20 World Cup that Zampa had taken four wickets. The legspinner was supposed to be Australia's trump card in this tournament. En route to Australia's consolation win, Zampa finally got his act together.

Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and keyseries stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.

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