USA and Oman created history in the world of cricket by exclusively relying on spin bowling in their ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 match held in Al Amerat. The match, played on a Tuesday, set several records, including being the first-ever men's one-day international (ODI) in 4,671 games where not a single ball of pace was bowled. This historic encounter concluded with the USA defeating hosts Oman by 57 runs.
The game witnessed an extraordinary display of spin bowling, with all 61 overs delivered by spinners. This unprecedented occurrence eclipses the previous record held by India in 1985 when they bowled 125 balls exclusively with spin against Pakistan. The match also equaled the record for the most wickets taken by spinners in an ODI, with a total of 19 wickets claimed, a feat last achieved during a Bangladesh-Pakistan match in 2011.
In terms of runs, the combined score of 187 runs makes it the second-lowest aggregate score in a full men's ODI. This low-scoring thriller is only surpassed by the 163-run match between India and Bangladesh in 2014. The USA was bowled out for 122 runs in 35.3 overs, which remarkably became the lowest total successfully defended in a full men's ODI. Oman, in response, was dismissed for just 65 runs in 25.3 overs.
USA's Nosthush Kenjige played a pivotal role in the victory, securing career-best figures of 5-11, dismantling Oman's batting lineup with his exceptional spin bowling. This performance highlights the dominance of spin throughout the match, underscoring how both teams embraced this style of play to make history.
The historic nature of this match follows another notable occurrence in cricket when Paarl Royals became the first team to bowl 20 overs of spin in a T20 match during their SA20 victory over Pretoria Capitals in January.
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