Having both their previous fixtures in the ongoing leg of CWC League 2 ending in no result due to rain, Scotland’s frustration deepened as Oman handed them a 12-run defeat on Wednesday.

After the rain-curtailed the ODI to a 20-over affair, Oman successfully defended 163 in a contest that swung sharply across phases.

After opting to bowl first, Scotland were quickly put under pressure by a composed 100-run opening stand with Jatinder Singh scoring a fluent 51 off 37 balls partnered by Ashish Odedra who joined in at the other end with a brisk 43 off 29. 

Scotland clawed their way back through the middle overs as Michael Leask and Jack Jarvis struck twice each, triggering a mini-collapse that saw Oman slip from 108/1 to 130/6 until, a valuable late push from Shakeel Ahmed (23* off 19) ensured Oman finished strongly on 163/7. 

In response, Scotland’s chase never quite found sustained momentum. Early wickets dented their progress as both openers fell inside the first three overs, and despite a counterattacking 22 from Brandon McMullen, they were forced into a corner very quickly. 

Captain Richie Berrington (23) and Matthew Cross (24) attempted to build the innings, but regular wickets kept pushing the required rate up. 

Hassnain Shah was the point of difference, as he produced a match-winning spell of 4/26, slicing through the middle order and effectively breaking Scotland’s chase. 

A late flurry from Safyaan Sharif and Mackenzie Jones, including two sixes in the final over reduced the deficit for Scotland, but the target remained out of reach as Scotland finished on 151/9, securing a crucial 12-run victory for Oman.

In what has been a largely frustrating time for Scotland, have both their previous games washed out without a result, a 12-run loss against Oman will hurt further.