KARACHI, July 19: Oman completed a remarkable 10-wicket victory over Thailand on Saturday to stay on course for the semifinals of the Youth Asia Cup at National Stadium.

Opener Adnan Ilyas, the vice-captain who originates from Pakistan, played a cameo knock, smashing 46 off mere 14 deliveries as Oman reached their target in 3.1 overs after the hapless Thailand had hobbled to 52 all out in 23 overs.

Indeed, it was a miracle that the game took place, albeit curtailed to 25 overs per innings after the NSK groundstaff did a superlative job following the two-hour heavy rains earlier in the morning.

Thai batsmen were all at sea after their Indian skipper Saurabh Dhanuka had won the toss. None of them were able to reach double figures except Srahan Ranamukhar who remained 11 not out. He also had the rare honour of striking Thailand’s only boundary.

Leg-spinner Ansar Raza Ansari, an Indian, returned startling figures of four for nine in five overs.

Although Adnan, who struck eight fours and one six, dominated Oman’s reply it was his Sri Lankan partner Derrick Ruston striking the winning boundary.

Kuwait, meanwhile, also kept their hopes alive of going through to the last four with a seven-wicket defeat of Hong Kong in the other Pool ‘B’ match at faraway Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Park in Steel Town.

In a match reduced to 35 overs after a delayed start, Hong Kong mustered 129 in 33 overs after asked to bat first by Kuwaiti skipper Adeel Mirza.

Mr Extras top scored for the former British colony with 21 while among the batsmen Courtney Kruger, a South African, made 19.

Kuwait’s Pakistan-born paceman Waqas Jamil bowled with hostility to claim four for 23 in seven overs while spinners, slow left-armer Ali Shahzad and Adeel Mirza who bowls off-spin, returned identical analysis of two for 17 in seven and five overs, respectively.

Openers Saim Shibli Ehtesham, who hails from Pakistan, and Australian partner Arnav Dutta laid the foundation of Kuwait’s victory with a partnership of 62.

Saim stroked five boundaries on his way to 42 while Dutta scored 21. Yasir Idrees hit the only six of the game in an unbeaten 28.

Summarised scores:

*At National Stadium, Oman beat Thailand by 10 wickets.

THAILAND 52 in 23 overs (Ansar Raza Ansari 4-9);

OMAN 55-0 in 3.1 overs (Adnan Ilyas 46 not out).

*At Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Park (Steel Town), Kuwait beat Hong Kong by seven wickets.

HONG KONG 129 in 33 overs (Mohammad Waqas 4-23, Ali Shahzad 2-17, Adeel Mirza 2-17);

KUWAIT 133-3 in 24.3 overs (Saim Shibli Ehtesham 42, Yasir Idrees 28 not out, Arnav Dutta 21; Nadeem Ahmed 2-29).

Sunday’s Pool ‘A’ fixtures: Nepal v UAE at National Stadium; Maldives v Qatar at PCB Regional Academy Ground.