Scotland make it two-in-two with four-wicket win

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Scotland’s impressive start to their ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 Group B campaign continued into their second game in Bulawayo on Tuesday, 6 March with the bowlers setting up victory against Hong Kong.

Tom Sole led the bowling charge with 4/15 as Scotland dismissed Hong Kong for just 91 in 38.2 overs at Bulawayo Athletic Club. After that, despite a strong effort from the Hong Kong bowlers, Scotland eased to a four-wicket win to make it two wins from two and jump atop the group standings.

Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland captain, remained unbeaten on a 60-ball 41 as he saw the chase through, although Ehsan Nawaz (2/24) and Ehsan Khan (3/29) made matters hard for Scotland as they ended on 92/6 from 23.3 overs.

After Hong Kong were asked to bat, Nizakat Khan’s 26 and his 46-run stand with his opening partner Aizaz Khan (17) proved to be the only bright spot. The two did commendably, their partnership ensuring Scotland went wicketless in the first 10 overs. Nizakat’s 40-ball knock comprised five fours, while Aizaz at the other end matched him during his 27-ball innings that included two fours and a six.

Once the stand was broken, though, it was a procession, Hong Kong losing 10 wickets for just 45 runs. Nizakat was the first to fall, trapped in front by Mark Watt, the left-arm spinner, in the 11th over. In the next over, Alasdair Evans, the right-arm pacer, accounted for Aizaz, who looked to pull and miscued to wide mid-on.

Sole then took charge. His off-spin accounted for Anshuman Rath and Scott McKechnie in the 14th over, with both batsmen falling for ducks. And though Babar Hayat, the captain, and Shahid Wasif stonewalled for six overs thereafter, they managed to add just one run and it was only a matter of time before the pressure took effect.

Hayat was caught at short-leg after inside-edging one on to his pads, his 22-ball stint yielding just seven runs as Sole claimed his third wicket. When Wasif followed suit three overs later to Safyaan Sharif, Hong Kong were 61/6.

The tail tried hard to fight back. All of Waqas Barkat (5 off 12 balls), Tanwir Afzal (7 off 30) and Ehsan Khan (16 not out off 46) looked to steer clear of the risks and boost the total as much as possible. However, Scotland weren’t to be denied for long, and Sole led his team back to the dressing room with figures of 4/15 in his 10 overs, which included five maidens.

Despite not having much to defend, the Hong Kong bowlers, predominantly Nawaz, the medium pacer, and Khan, the off-spinner, ensured Scotland were made to feel the strain.

Nawaz had Matthew Cross (2) clean bowled early and the dangerous Calum MacLeod (10) became his second wicket as Scotland fell to 32/2.

Richie Berrington didn’t last long either, dismissed by Khan for a 13-ball 1, but with Coetzer looking solid at one end, it was a matter of Scotland finding a partnership. It came when George Munsey walked in. He scored a quick 18-ball 22, putting away five boundaries to drain the Hong Kong hopes, and his 24-run stand with Coetzer helped Scotland get to within 17 runs of the target.

However, his dismissal by Khan triggered another slide, with both Craig Wallace (5) and Watt (5) unable to stick around and see the chase through. Despite the late wickets, though, Hong Kong had little to cheer about in the end as Coetzer took charge and nudged around to seal the chase with 159 balls in hand.