40-year-old Sharjah record rewritten in Oman

Dubai: The record was born in Sharjah in 1985. It now belongs to Al Amerat in Oman.

USA’s unlikely 57-run win over Oman in the Cricket World Cup League 2 has etched the Omani venue into cricketing history — as the site of the lowest total ever defended in a One-Day International. From spin dominance to statistical oddities, the match was anything but ordinary.

Put in to bat, USA were bundled out for just 122 in 35.3 overs. Milind Kumar stood tall with an unbeaten 47, sharing crucial stands with Aaron Jones and Sanjay Krishnamurthi to give the visitors a fighting chance.

It turned out to be more than enough.

Left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige ran through the Oman batting order with a five-wicket haul, as the hosts collapsed for 65. USA sealed the win by 57 runs — and with it, a new entry in the ODI record books.

The previous record for the lowest total ever defended in an ODI had stood for nearly four decades. It was set at Sharjah in 1985 during the Rothmans Four-Nations Cup, when India made 125 against Pakistan and still won by 38 runs.

Mohammed Azharuddin top-scored with 47 and Kapil Dev chipped in with 30, before India bowled out Pakistan for 87. Imran Khan had earlier taken a remarkable 6 for 14, but Kapil returned the favour with three wickets, supported by Ravi Shastri (2 for 17) and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (2 for 16). Ramiz Raja’s 29 was the only bright spot for Pakistan.

Now, Al Amerat takes its place in that unlikely hall of fame.

According to Cricinfo, USA’s win wasn’t just about the record low defence — it was a game that rewrote several chapters of ODI history.

For starters, all nine bowlers used in the match were spinners — making it the first completed men’s ODI in history (out of 4,671 matches) without a single delivery from a fast bowler.

The 19 wickets taken by spinners equalled the all-time record for most wickets by spin in a single ODI — matching a 2011 game between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Chattogram.

Between them, USA and Oman managed just 187 runs across 61 overs — the second-lowest match aggregate in an ODI where both teams were bowled out. Only the 2014 game between India and Bangladesh in Mirpur saw less, totalling 163 runs in 41 overs.

From Sharjah to Al Amerat, the region continues to floor cricketing records — and this one might take some beating.