Oman made home advantage count, beating Canada by 41 runs in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 on Friday to give Nepal a boost in the race for a top-six finish.

The victory came in the opening match of the series in Muscat, where Nepal are the third team competing alongside Oman and Canada.

Batting first after winning the toss, Oman were bowled out for 263 in 49.1 overs. Opener Hasnain Ul Wahab top-scored with 93 off 77 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes. Mujibur Ali made 39, and Jatinder Singh contributed 34.

Canada’s Harsh Thaker took four wickets for 37 runs in seven overs, including one maiden. Ajayveer Hundal and Sheel Patel claimed two wickets each.

In reply, Canada were dismissed for 222 in 48 overs. Aaditya Varadharajan scored 64 off 81 balls, including three fours and two sixes. Harsh Thaker made 40, while Aaron Johnson added 29.

Oman’s Hassnain Shah took four wickets for 33 runs in his 10 overs. Shakeel Ahmed and Samay Shrivastava claimed three wickets apiece.

The win lifted Oman to fifth place in the eight-team standings, with 33 points from 29 matches. Canada remained sixth with 25 points from 33 matches, while Nepal were seventh with 24 points from 32 matches. The United Arab Emirates sat at the bottom with 19 points from 30 matches.

Nepal and Canada are competing in their final series, with both teams fighting for a place in the top six. Nepal will face Canada on Sunday.