Imal Liyanage’s blistering knock of 86 powered Qatar to a 48-run win over Cambodia, securing their third consecutive victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Sub Regional Qualifier B on Saturday. Liyanage hammered eight sixes and three boundaries in his 54-ball innings, steering Qatar to 170-7 after they elected to bat first at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground.
The left-hander forged a pivotal 98-run opening stand in 10.1 overs with Saqlain Arshad, who contributed a quickfire 38 off 24 balls. Their partnership laid a solid foundation as the rest of the batting lineup struggled, with only Muhammad Tanveer (19) managing double figures.
On debut, 41-year-old Mohammed Aslam spearheaded Qatar’s bowling attack, claiming 3-20 as Cambodia were restricted to 122-8. Arumugaganesh Nagarajan bagged two wickets while Owais Ahmed and Ikramullah Khan picked up one apiece. Cambodia’s Lakshit Gupta top-scored with 49.
Qatar are set to face Bahrain tomorrow. In other matches, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continued their dominant run, thrashing Thailand by 155 runs at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground. Meanwhile, Bahrain crushed Bhutan by 90 runs at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium. UAE lead the standings with eight points from four matches, while Qatar remain in contention for a top-two finish with six points from three games. Bahrain and Thailand are tied on four points, followed by Saudi Arabia (2 points).
Cambodia and Bhutan are yet to register a win. The top two teams will qualify for the Regional Final, joining Nepal, Oman, and Papua New Guinea.
Imal Liyanage
