ICC WCL Division 1, Match 13: Scotland, Led by Fraser Watts, beat Afghanistan by 2 wickets
Scotland ended Afghanistan’s winning run in the ICC World Cricket League Division One; it was a low scoring encounter at Rotterdam, where Scotland got home in the end with 2 wickets in hand and 37 balls to spare.
After winning the toss, Afghanistan elected to bat first. It was a bold decision by skipper Nawroz Mangal, considering overnight rain had provided the wicket with some early morning moisture. Scotland has a capable bowling attack that knows how to use the new ball in favourable conditions.
And so it proved when Afghanistan came out to bat; it was not easy going for the Asian team right from the start. Goudie got the ball to move both ways and with 3 slips deployed, Afghan batsmen looked at sea against the moving ball.
The first wicket came in the 3rd over, when opener Karim Sadiq was caught in the slips (by Fraser Watts) off the bowling of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gordon-Goudie-c60365, after scoring 2 runs from 8 balls.
Next man in Javed Ahmadi did not get any time to settle in; on his first 4 deliveries, he played and missed, and eventually nicked one to 3rd slip after scoring just 3 runs from 8 balls. His wicket was picked up by Gordon Drummond.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Noor-Ali-Zadran-c2127 and Shahzad formed a formidable partnership for the 3rd wicket, and braved it against the strong opposition by the Scottish bowlers.
The two knew that playing big shots was not going to be easy, and focused on not losing any more wickets too early. Scoring at less than three runs per over, the pair put on 47 runs, when Shahzad was run out in the 17th over from a direct through by Richie Berrington. He scored 34 runs from 44 balls with 4 fours and a six.
Next man in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nawroz-Mangal-c2084 quickly realised that this was not going to be a day for free flowing strokes, and went on the back-foot straight away.
Ali Zadran was dismissed in the 19th over by Gordon Drummond after scoring 15 runs from 46 balls.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Asghar-Stanikzai-c1094 and Mangal put on a hard fought stand of 41 runs from nearly 14 overs before Stanikzai was dismissed in the 33rd over after scoring 24 runs from 45 balls, with 2 fours. He was caught by Berrington off the bowling of Ross Lyons.
Next man in Shapoor Zadran did not last long, and was cleaned up by Lyons in the same over for naught, and Afghanistan was soon bowled out for just 141 runs at the start of the 48th over.
Scotland must have thought that the target of 142 would be but a formality, but it did not turn out exactly like that. Ollie Hairs’ poor form continued, and he was caught at the first slip by Ali Zadran off the bowling of Shapoor Zadran after scoring just 4 runs from 8 balls with one four.
Fraser Watts and Omer Hussain then put up a decent stand for the 2nd wicket; the Afghan bowlers did not let the new ball go to waste, and used the conditions to good effect.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hamid-Hassan-c1524 and Shapoor kept the ball full and just short of good length, giving not much to drive or cut to the Scots.
Hussain was dismissed after scoring 17 from 22 balls in the 10th over; he was stumped off the bowling of Mohammad Nabi. The next man in, Richie http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Berrington-c47840, also fell for just 7 off 23 balls; he was caught by Javed Ahmadi off the bowling of Nawroz Mangal.
Even though there was little hope for Afghanistan, they kept plugging away at the wickets, and once Watts was dismissed for 46 from 98 balls (with 3 fours), there were still 30 runs needed, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Parker-c80761 and Drummond) did give Afghanistan hopes of a miracle, but it was not to be.
Moneeb Iqbal completed the win with 2 boundaries, and Scotland got home in the 44th over. Fraser Watts was declared man of the match for his highest score (46).
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