The United States men’s cricket team made history by breaking India’s 40-year-old record for the lowest successfully defended total in a full 50-over match as they beat Oman by 57 runs. But what made it more special is that they did not bowl a single ball of pace throughout the match!
In a Cricket World Cup League 2 match in Al Amarat, Muscat, the US team were bowled out for 122, but they dismissed Oman for 65 to go past India’s record of defending 125 against Pakistan in 1985 at Sharjah, which the Indians eventually won by 38 runs.
It is the lowest successfully defended total in men's non-curtailed ODIs, excluding matches with a revised target or reduced overs. Incidentally, 65 was also Oman's lowest in the men's ODIs.
🚨 NEW RECORD ALERT 🚨#TeamUSA have made history by successfully defending the lowest total in Men’s ODIs against Oman! 👏🔥
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) February 18, 2025
Way to go, boys! 🙌#USAvOMAN | #WeAreUSACricket 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/dwc4U1IgvU
Interestingly, it was the first match in 4,671 completed ODIs without a single delivery from a pacer. Nineteen wickets fell to spin, with the remaining one being a run-out. Left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige of the US was the wrecker-in-chief with 5/11 from 7.3 overs.
Milind Kumar (2/17), who took the important wicket of Oman captain Jatinder Singh (7), Harmeet Singh (1/25) and Yasir Mohammed's 2/10 complimented Kenjige well.
Not a single over of pace was bowled in the match held on the Oman Cricket Academy pitch, with Oman too relying on their spin attack led by Shakeel Ahmad, who 3/20 helped them bowl out the US in just 35.3 overs.
Kumar contributed with the bat too for the US, staying unbeaten on 47 to help his team cross the three-figure mark.
