With the scores level, Vijay Unni of Malaysia bowled a deliberate wide against Vanuatu in an ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge Play-off 2024 match.
Malaysia, Vanuatu, Bahrain and Tanzania have been placed in Group B of the 2024 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge Play-Off Match. Bahrain have won four points after defeating Vanuatu and Malaysia. Meanwhile, Tanzania won against Vanuatu but lost to Malaysia.
To stay in the race, Vanuatu not only needed to win, but also needed to outperform Malaysia in net run rate. In the match played at Kuala Lumpur’s Bayumas Oval, Joshua Ras (4-31) led the way as they defeated Malaysia by 124 points, with Ahmad Akeel scoring 44 points.
Vanuatu looked for quick runs and lost wickets in the process, dropping from 57-1 to 76-4 and then 113-7. However, Junior Kartapau and Williamsingh Narisa leveled the scores with 3 wickets and 21 overs.
At this point, Malaysia’s net run rate was -0.734 and Vanuatu’s net run rate was -0.798. Had batsman Narisa scored six runs, Vanuatu’s net run rate would have increased to -0.756, higher than Malaysia’s -0.775.
To avoid this, Malaysian off-spinner Vijay Unni bowled a deliberate mistake outside the off-stump. As a result, Malaysia’s net run rate has fallen to -0.742, slightly ahead of Vanuatu’s -0.791.
I have been warning this could happen for years.
Malaysia shithouse Vanuatu off the CWC Qualifying ladder on NRR with what looks bang on like a deliberate wide, as I predicted they might.
Discussions, wide.#MALvVAN#CWCQPlayoff pic.twitter.com/hHlcNllJHE– Bertus de Jong (@BdJcricket) 26. February 2024
However, this tactic did not guarantee Malaysia’s qualification. According to tournament rules, if the teams are tied, the head-to-head will be considered a tiefollowed by the net run percentage.
Bahrain (4 points) has already qualified. However, in the match held in Kuala Lumpur today (February 26), Tanzania won by 20 points, leaving them level with leaders Bahrain on four points. Both teams then automatically qualified.
What Associate international Cricket is about.
Vanuatu are monitoring multiple https://t.co/uSUVGNYdMh streams to see if they can survive the Challenge League playoffs.
Tanzania need to beat Bahrain to secure third place in tie-break with Malaysia 👀 pic.twitter.com/NoET7Zak6W< /a
– Daniel Beswick (@DGBeswick1) 26. February 2024
Vanuatu and Malaysia are tied on 2 points and only one will advance to the next round. As Vanuatu defeated Malaysia, Uni’s deliberate long shot was in vain, and Vanuatu advanced in the head-to-head match.
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