Malaysia, Vanuatu, Bahrain, and Tanzania were placed in Group B of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge Play-off 2024 match. With wins against Vanuatu and Malaysia, Bahrain sit on four points, while Tanzania had beaten Vanuatu but lost to Malaysia.

To stay in the hunt, Vanuatu not only needed a win but they had to stay above Malaysia on net run rate. During the match, at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Joshua Rasu (4-31) led the charge as they bowled out Malaysia for 124 even as Ahmad Aqeel made 44.

Vanuatu went in pursuit of quick runs and lost wickets in the process, slipping from 57-1 to 76-4 and later 113-7. However, Junior Kaltapau and Williamsing Nalisa levelled the score with three wickets and 21 overs in hand.

At this precise moment, Malaysia’s net run rate stood on -0.734 and Vanuatu’s on -0.798. Had Nalisa, the batter on strike, hit a six, Vanuatu would have lifted their net run rate to -0.756, ahead of Malaysia’s -0.775.

To avoid this, Malaysian off-spinner Vijay Unni bowled a deliberate wide outside the off stump. As a result, Malaysia’s net run rate dropped, but only to -0.742, marginally 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) February 26, 2024

However, Malaysia’s qualification was not guaranteed by that tactic. According to the rules of the tournament, if teams are tied on points, head-to-head is considered to break the tie, followed by net run rate.

Bahrain (four points) have already qualified. However, Tanzania beat them by 20 runs in their fixture in Kuala Lumpur today (February 26), meaning that they drew level with Bahrain on points at the top of the table on four points each. Both teams subsequently have automatically qualified.

What Associate international Cricket is about.

Vanuatu watching multiple https://t.co/uSUVGNYdMh streams to see if they stay alive in the Challenge League Play-off.

They need Tanzania to beat Bahrain to claim third on a tiebreak from Malaysia 👀 pic.twitter.com/NoET7Zak6W

— Daniel Beswick (@DGBeswick1) February 26, 2024

Vanuatu and Malaysia are tied on two points with only one able to progress to the next stage. Because Vanuatu beat Malaysia, Unni’s deliberate wides were in vain, as Vanuatu will go through on head-to-head.