Michael Leask smashed an excellent 91 not out to guide Scotland to a dramatic one-wicket victory over Ireland off the ultimate ball on the World Cup Qualifier on Wednesday.
Scotland was reeling at 152-7 within the thirty fourth over, chasing 287 to win, however Leask struck 91 from 61 balls to clinch a win to begin the aspect’s marketing campaign.
Ireland, although, is getting ready to failing to achieve a second straight World Cup after struggling a second successive Group B defeat after its opening loss to Oman.
Two groups from the 10-nation occasion in Zimbabwe will qualify for the primary event to be held in India in October and November.
“We’ve had a few tough games against Ireland, so to get this against them is even more special,” mentioned Leask, who was a part of the aspect crushed by Ireland within the final World Cup Qualifier 5 years in the past.
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“We’ve got a great bunch of lads and this is just the start of our journey. This is how we’ll play our cricket, we’ll take things deep.”
Scotland is hoping to proper the wrongs of the earlier qualifying event in 2018, when it missed out on the World Cup in England and Wales as a controversial lbw resolution and premature rain noticed it slip to an agonising defeat towards the West Indies.
Ireland additionally didn’t qualify on that event, having reached the three earlier World Cups.
“The first 10 overs when we were batting and the last 10 overs when we were bowling took the game away from us,” mentioned Irish captain Andy Balbirnie.
“We’ll lick our wounds here and go again next game.”
Oman leads the early group B desk, with three of 5 groups to achieve the Super Six stage, after notching a second win from as many video games with a five-wicket success towards the United Arab Emirates.
Campher stars
Ireland was struggling at 70-5 after being put in to bat first as Brandon McMullen eliminated Paul Stirling, Balbirnie and Harry Tector with the brand new ball.
But Curtis Campher hit again with an impressive 120 from 108 balls, aided by George Dockrell’s 69.
McMullen completed with 5-34 from seven overs because the Irish posted 286-8 from their 50 overs.
Scotland made a strong begin to its chase however the lack of Christopher McBride, trapped lbw by Campher for 56, began a collapse of 4 wickets for 32 runs from 90-2.
The Scots have been nonetheless 135 runs away from victory when Chris Greaves fell to Dockrell for 20, however Mark Watt joined forces with Leask in an 82-run stand for the seventh wicket.
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Scotland ultimately wanted eight from the ultimate over bowled by Mark Adair with two wickets in hand and seemed set to win when Tector’s poor misfield gifted Leask a 4 from the primary supply.
But quantity 10 Safyaan Sherif was then dismissed with three runs nonetheless wanted.
Leask scampered a bye to get again on strike for the final ball with two nonetheless required, earlier than edging his ninth 4, to go together with 4 sixes, previous his personal stumps to safe a well-known victory.
Ireland could have to beat former world champion Sri Lanka in its subsequent recreation on Sunday to maintain its hopes alive, whereas Scotland is subsequent in motion towards the UAE on Friday.
Oman backed up its shock success over Ireland with one other spectacular run chase to inflict a second loss on the UAE.
Aayan Afzal Khan smashed an unbeaten 58 to pull the UAE as much as 227-8 batting first.
But fifties from Aqib Ilyas, Shoaib Khan and Mohammad Nadeem helped Oman ease to its goal with 4 overs to spare.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com