ZIM vs OMA Match 8 Commentary - Colombo (09 February 2026)

Too short and too wide. Sikandar Raza slaps it powerfully to cover. Jatinder Singh gets a hand on it and keeps it down to one.

Flatter delivery, just outside off, Bennett punches it down to long off for a run. 

FOUR! That is it! Karan Sonavale bowls a length delivery, outside off, too slow, and the batter gets enough time to pick his shot. Sikandar Raza powers it through cover and well wide of long off for a boundary. Zimbabwe win by 8 wickets with more than 6 overs to spare. 

Drifting into the batter, fuller and on middle, Taylor bunts it to square leg. 

A good length delivery in front of middle. Bennett nudges it with soft hands to mid-wicket and settles with a run.

Good awareness from the batters! Good-length delivery, outside off, Brendan Taylor punches it through point. The fielder in the deep fumbles and the batters are quick to sneak in another run. 

Floats it fuller and on middle, eased down to long on for a single.

FOUR! Easy pickings! Bennett moves to 45 and Zimbabwe need 6 more runs to win. Dragged length, touch short and Bennett is quick to pick up, he rocks back and pummels it through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Slides it full and onto the pads. Bennett whips it behind square on the leg side for a couple of runs. 100 up for Zimbabwe and they are just a hit away.

Fuller than a good length and outside off, Bennett reaches for it and pushes it down to long off for a single.

Back of a length, cutting back in from outside off. Taylor looks to punch it with a straight bat but gets an inside edge.

Slower delivery, a floater, full and wide outside off. Taylor reaches out and jams it into the turf as the ball bounces up towards Jatinder Singh at covers.

Fullish length on middle, angling in, flicked around the corner on the leg side for a single.

Good length on off, holds in the pitch a bit. Bennett hangs back and hits it through the cover region for one more.

Just a single to end but Zimbabwe have the finish line in sight now. Full on middle and leg, worked away in front of square leg for a single.

A bit awkward for Bennett. Good length, angled in from outside off. Brian Bennett goes deep and shuffles to the off side to play the lap but gets into a tangle and miscues it to short third.

FOUR! Nicely done. Fuller and straighter, this time Brian Bennett manages to get inside the line and laps it through backward square leg for a boundary.

FOUR! Well timed and the outfield is lightning quick. Fractionally short and outside off, Bennett waits back well and cuts it down to the left of deep point for another boundary.

Flatter delivery on middle, punched away off the back foot to long on for a single.

A couple of runs for Taylor and the 50-run stand is up between these two. Tossed up, full and around off, stroked away to the right of sweeper cover for a brace.

FOUR! In complete control. Flat and full around off, Brendan Taylor brings out the reverse sweep and gets the hands on top of the bounce, nailing it down through backward point for a boundary. 15 off the over.

Flights it very full and around off, Bennett hits it to long off for a single.

In-angler, too full and on middle, floated a bit. Brendan Taylor sweeps it to deep square leg for a single.

Fires it full and in line of the stumps, Bennett gets inside the line and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Flighted, slower in the air and on middle, no turn, this is patted back to the bowler.

Sticks to the stumps, bowls on the fuller side. Taylor clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Tossed up, on a length and on middle, Bennett strokes it down to long on and retains the strike. 

Bowls a good-length delivery, outside off, Bennett plants his front foot across and knocks it to sweeper cover for a single.

Short of a good length and on leg, Taylor picks it off the pads and turns it to square leg for a run.

Jiten pitches it on the 8-meter length, on top of off, punched down to long off for a single.

Pace-off, fuller delivery, around off, BT bends forward and drives it to long off for one more.

Touch fuller, attacking the stumps. Bennett tucks it down to long on and rotates the strike.

FOUR! Oman can't even afford to give away a boundary at this stage. 9 runs off the over. Too full and slightly drifting on leg, Brendan Taylor picks the line and closes the bat face just enough, guides it past short fine leg for a boundary. 

An armball with a straighter trajectory, fuller delivery on middle, Bennett hits it down to long off for a single.

Tosses it up, outside off and fuller length. Taylor works it down to long off and runs across.

Slower in the air, flighted a bit and gets it to drift into the batter. Bennett gets inside the line and tickles it to short fine leg.

Fractionally short, around off, Bennett rocks back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Wasim Ali gets it to swing in a bit. Around off, Taylor waits and nudges it to square leg for a single. 

Drops a half tracker, around off, Bennett clears his front leg and pulls, off the inner half of the bat to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Nadeem Khan drops it full and outside off, Taylor presses across and punches it to point.

This one comes with the arm, full and on middle, drilled to long on for a single.

On a good length, on middle, angling in. Bennett goes back and clears his front leg to punch it to cover.

Good running! Khan slows up the pace a bit, bowls it fuller and on off, Bennett tucks it wide of mid-wicket and collects a brace.

FOUR! Uppish but in the gap! Too full and too wide, turning slightly away. Bennett leans across to drive and gets a thick outside edge past short third for a boundary. 50 up for Zimbabwe.

Darted on the pads, turned to deep mid-wicket for a single. 

On a length and on middle, Brendan Taylor turns it to square leg and looks for a single but is sent back by Brian Bennett. A direct-hit at the batter's end but Taylor was in.

Yet another direct-hit but Taylor was in once again. Touch fuller, around off, Taylor punches it to mid off and calls for a quick single. The fielder has a shy at the bowler's end and scores but the replay shows Taylor was in.

Back of a length, outside off, hangs a bit low, Brian Bennett looks to cut it but misses.

Pushed through, fuller and around off, Bennett strokes it to mid off and scampers across for a quick single.

Overpitched delivery, sliding on middle, Taylor whips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Good way to end the Powerplay! Too short and too wide with a pack off field. Bennett crunches it through cover-point, in the gap for a boundary. Zimbabwe are 43/2 at the end of the sixth over.

FOUR! In the gap! Short of a good length and outside off, Brendan Taylor waits back well and taps it down just behind point. The ball races away to the fence.

A good comeback delivery from Nadeem Khan. Nagging length on off, the armball darts back in. Taylor just about manages to block it off.

Oh, that could have easily gone straight to hand. Floated up on middle, Brendan Taylor goes for the reverse sweep but miscues it badly and the ball lands just wide of the fielder at first slip.

Excellent work from Vinayak Shukla again behind the stumps. Flighted ball, angled in with the arm. Taylor looks to play the conventional sweep now but the ball catches the arm and lobs up towards the leg slip region. The keeper dives and pouches the ball and up goes the appeal for a caught behind. It is turned down and the keeper is quick to walk back to his mark.

Flatter one on the pads, tucked around the corner on the leg side for a single.

Top over from Nadeem Khan. Shorter one, hammered into the deck and outside off. Brian Bennett shuffles across to pull but gets into a tangle and misses. A couple of really good overs for Oman.

OUT! CAUGHT! Top catch from Wasim Ali and Oman have their first breakthrough. Sufyan Mehmood comes around the wicket and has the keeper upto the stumps. This is bowled a bit short and wide, and Tadiwanashe Marumani throws the hands at it. Marumani doesn't control the shot and hits it uppishly to the right of backward point. Wasim leaps up and across to his right and clings onto the ball. Marumani departs for a breezy 21 off 11 balls.

Good length attacking the pads Myers nudges it across to mid-wicket.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! That is a fantastic catch from the keeper, and he was certain it was out. Sufyan Mehmood pitches the ball further up on off and creates an angle from wide of the crease. The ball angles in, and Dion Myers lunges ahead to play it through the covers. The ball goes past the inside edge and just past the leg stump as Vinayak Shukla pouches it brilliantly and even dislodges the bails to bring the double opportunity into play. The appeal for a catch is turned down, but the review is taken. Third umpire confirms that there is an inside edge, and Myers is in and out quickly. Zimbabwe are 29/2 after 3.3 overs.

Fullish length on the pads, Taylor clips it away to square leg.

Good length outside off, Brendan Taylor taps it towards cover.

Nearly a double-wicket maiden from Sufyan Mehmood. Back of a length and around off, Brendan Taylor plays it off the inner half of the blade and past the bowler down to long on for a single.

Play and a miss! Short of a length and shaping away from outside off, Brian Bennett looks to take on the pull but is beaten by the extra bounce.

Good length on the pads, Bennett presses back and tucks it to mid-wicket.

Good length again, around the top of off, Bennett lets the ball come on before easing it out to covers. Three dots to begin the third over.

FOUR! Brian Bennett is finally off the mark and in fine fashion as well. Short of a length, angled across off and middle. Bennett picks the length early, leans back and swivel-pulls it wide of square leg for a boundary.

FOUR! Oh, that's unlucky for the bowler. Full and outside off, looking for the inswinger. Bennett goes for the expansive cover drive but ends up dragging it off the inside edge. The ball goes past the leg stump and rolls away into the fine leg fence.

Length ball on leg, no room on offer. Bennett stays back and defends it to mid on.

Starts from around the wicket and fires it across the left-hander. Marumani rocks back to pull but the ball darts away past the willow.

Half an appeal for a caught behind but the keeper knows there's no bat on it. Good length, angled across off, Marumani ends up poking at it and gets beaten well past the outside edge. The bowler and the fielder at first slip really thought there was an edge, but the keeper has a chuckle.

FOUR! Beautifully timed. Flatter one at the stumps, it's nudged away wide of mid-wicket by Marumani and the ball speeds away to the fence.

FOUR MORE! Slightly fuller, darted across off, Tadiwanashe Marumani does well to go deep in his crease and smacks it firmly between point and covers for another boundary.

FOUR! Make that a hat-trick of boundaries and Marumani is starting to go berserk. Marginally short on middle and leg, Marumani leans back and pulls it flat and hard through mid-wicket for another boundary.

FOUR! Tadiwanashe Marumani is breathing fire, 16 runs off the over. Full and on leg stump, Marumani sits down and nearly falls over as he wallops the ball up and over backward square leg. The ball just lands inside the ropes and goes for another four.

Left alone by Bennett. Pitched up on a fuller length and outside off, looking for some inswing, but this one goes straight on. Brian Bennett lets it through to the keeper.

Zimbabwe are underway with a leg bye. Back of a length and around leg, Bennett fails to tuck it away. The ball goes off the thigh pad and behind square leg for a single.

Good-length delivery, shaping away from outside off, Tadiwanashe Marumani backs away and looks to cut but misses.

FOUR! Marumani is off the mark in streaky fashion. Short of a length, angled into the batter, extra bounce still on offer. Marumani goes hard at the pull but miscues it away over first slip and the ball runs away to the fence.

Play and a miss! Back of a length, shaping away from outside off. Marumani makes room leg side and looks to go over point but misses.

On a good length and around the top of off, Marumani presses back and tucks it through square leg. The initial call was for two, but they settle with the single. Zimbabwe are 6/0 after the first over.