Cricket Update: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756- Afghanistan set up 9-wickets win over hosts
Afghanistan sustained its dominant position over Scotland with a big win in the Intercontinental Cup thrashing the hosts with a nine-wicket victory in the first One Day International of the two match series at Cambusdoon New Ground, Ayr on August 16. Scotland’s competitive but gettable 50-overs total of 224 runs was easily chased by Afghanistan at the loss of one wicket with plenty of overs to spare.
Scotland indebted to the half-century of Fraser Watts and some late hitting of Gordon Drummond could amass a respectable total of 224 for 9 from their allotted 50 overs. Shapoor Zadran took 3 wickets conceding 69 runs in his 10-overs quota while Samiullah Shenwari took 2 off 29 in his spell of 8 overs. In reply, the unbeaten 218-run partnership of the centurion duo, Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Shahzad, bagged the visitors a cakewalk over the hosts. The only wicket of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Parker-c80761.
The Scotland skipper Gordon Drummond, after winning the toss elected to bat first. Despite losing the opening partner Preston Mommsen quite early, Fraser Watts played a responsible knock of 55 runs of 80 balls. Paul Mommsen scored five runs off 8 balls before giving an edge to Mohammad Shahzad behind the stumps off Shapoor Zadran. The next over a fine ball from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mirwais-Ashraf-c1971 trapped Josh Davey leg before. Mirwais scored seven runs off 5 deliveries hitting a boundary as well.
Fraser Watts and Richie Berrington added seven runs to the team’s total for the third wicket partnership. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Berrington-c47840 departed in the fifth over when he tried to go for a flashing drive off Shapoor Zadran’s fuller ball, but got a knick which pouched into the gloves of wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad. Berrington’s 4 off six came through the lone boundary he struck off Mirwais Ashraf.
Berrington’s departure took Gavin Hamilton to the crease and in partnership with Mommsen’s opening partner Fraser Watts, the pair played a succession of well-timed shots to drag the side out of turmoil. A flurry of sweet boundaries from Watts and Berrington eased the nerves of hosts. Both the players shared a half-century partnership for the fourth wicket stand. The partnership was worth 68, when http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hamid-Hassan-c1524 bowled Gavin Hamilton leaving Scotland 92 for 4 on the board.
Another pair of wickets fell after Hamilton’s dismissal. Moneeb Iqbal, struggling at the crease, scored only 5 runs after facing 19 balls. He was stumped by the wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad off http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Asghar-Stanikzai-c1094’s wide ball. The fluent opener Fraser Watts followed Iqbal just two overs later after he was bowled by Samiullah Shenwari. Watts scored 55 runs from 80 deliveries. During 80 minutes stay at the crease, Watts pulled the ball through the ropes four times. He also entertained the home crowd with a huge six off Shapoor Zadran over the long-off.
At 141 for 7, it was perceived that the hosts would be rolled over for under 200 but skipper Gordon Drummond’s quick fire of 35 runs from 19 balls brought 200 up for his side. Clattering wickets at regular intervals had put the hosts under pressure but thanks to the lower order that stepped up to drag them towards a respectable total. The last three wickets added 83 runs to the scorecard. Though Zadran was quite expensive, with an economy reaching 7 per over, but he claimed three wickets.
Though the visitors lost their first wicket in the start of the run chase with only 7 on the board, but the unbeaten centuries from the opener Karim Sadiq and wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad crushed away the Scottish hopes of any revival that they started sniffing after the early wicket of Noor Ali Zadran. The centurions took the side home in just 31 overs with nine wickets still intact.
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