"VAN" (Sports Desk - 06.02.2026) :: Matt Henry took five wickets as New Zealand defeated the USA by seven runs in a high-scoring ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match.
There were also wins for Oman and Nepal, while Australia’s clash with the Netherlands was washed out in Colombo.
Henry holds his nerve
Tim Seifert and Matt Henry were the standout performers as New Zealand edged past the USA in Navi Mumbai.
Seifert made 66 from 31 balls at the top of the order before retiring out, with Glenn Phillips thumping four fours and three sixes in his 18-ball 40 as the runs kept flowing.
Daryl Mitchell added 32 as the Kiwis finished on 208 for seven and the chase got off to the worst possible start for the Americans as Andries Gous fell to Henry for a golden duck.
But Saiteja Mukkamalla (50) and Milind Kumar (43) kept the USA in the hunt and Shubham Ranjane maintained the momentum, with 33 runs scored across overs 18 and 19 to leave 12 needed off the last.
But Henry’s experience shone through as Ranjane (41) picked out Jimmy Neesham at long-on before the seamer removed Mohammad Mohsin (2) to finish with figures of five for 32 from his four overs.
Jatinder leads Oman to victory
Jatinder Singh’s half-century helped Oman to a four-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Colombo.
The Chevrons batted first and got off to a flyer, Brian Bennett blasting seven fours and three sixes in a 28-ball 56 as he and Brendan Taylor, who retired out on 26, added 86 in 7.4 overs.
A wobble then left Zimbabwe 94 for five, Sufyan Mehmood taking three for 22, but Tashinga Musekiwa’s 54 not out from 28 balls ensured Oman were set a challenging 188 to win.
Aamir Kaleem showcased his side’s intent with 23 from 11 balls while Jatinder and Hammad Mirza (35) kept up the charge, taking the score into three figures in the ninth over.
Jatinder retired out on 55 from 33 balls at the end of the 14th over, with 55 still needed, and Jiten Ramanandi’s unbeaten 34 from 18 deliveries saw Oman over the line.
Nepal continue good form
Nepal made it two wins from as many warm-up matches with a six-wicket win over Canada.
Navneet Dhaliwal was in the mood for Canada, clearing the ropes three times in his entertaining 41 before being bowled by Sandeep Lamicchane (2/14).
Kushal Bhurtel also took two wickets as Canada slipped from 81 for one to 105 for five, but Shreyas Movva smashed 38 not out from 19 balls to ensure Nepal were set a competitive target.
Bhurtel fell early in response but Aasif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora added 84 for the second wicket to lay the foundations for a successful chase.
Wicketkeeper Sheikh retired out on 58 from 29 balls, with six fours and three sixes, while Jora was caught shortly afterwards for 44 off 30.
Gulshan Jha’s 31 not out settled any nerves as the chase was completed with two overs to spare.
Pic Cr-ICC
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