Bulawayo (Agencies): Scotland sustained their first defeat of the World Cup Qualifier as Sri Lanka won by 82 runs in Bulawayo.
With both sides already through to the Super Six stage, Chris Greaves took four wickets during Sri Lanka’s innings of 245 all out, Pathum Nissanka top scoring on 75.
The Scots lost half their wickets early on and despite Greaves’ 56 not out, they were all out for 163 in reply. Scotland next face West Indies on Saturday (08:00 BST). Sri Lanka meet the Netherlands 24 hours earlier.
In the Super Six, Scotland will meet the top three teams from Group A, which also includes hosts Zimbabwe and the Dutch.
Results against fellow Group B teams Sri Lanka and Oman are carried forward, meaning the Scots have one win and one loss so far. Ultimately, the top two teams progress to the World Cup in India later this year.
Scotland captain Richie Berrington opted to field first having won the toss, and was rewarded early on, as his side made inroads. Chris Sole took the wickets of Dimuth Karunaratne for seven and Kusal Mendis for one, but Sri Lanka, led by Nissanka, rebuilt.
The Sri Lankan opener would have been targeting a hundred, but was dismissed short of that milestone, caught by Tomas Mackintosh off the bowling of Mark Watt. Matthew Cross caught Charith Asalanka for 63 off Watt’s bowling and Greaves took three quick wickets as Dhananjaya de Silva was bowled for 23, and Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga were caught by Sole.
Kasun Rajitha went lbw as Watt took his third wicket, and another Sole catch gave Greaves a fourth scalp as Lahiru went for five – Sri Lanka losing their final six wickets for 42 runs.
In the Scottish innings, Brandon McMullen, who scored an imperious 136 against Oman on Sunday, was bowled for just five by Maheesh Theekshana after Cross fell cheaply to Lahiru Kumara. From there, Scotland collapsed, slipping to 100-8 with Chris McBride (29) the only member of the top-order to show any resistance.
Theekshana took 3-41, and Wanindu Hasaranga 2-42, as Sri Lanka’s spinners caused havoc on a slow, turning pitch. Greaves counter-attacked with a 41-ball 56 not out, and the ninth-wicket partnership of 55 between Greaves and Sole took Scotland past 150, but Sole and Alasdair Evans were run out in quick succession to leave Scotland well beaten.
Scotland ‘need to come back strong’
Afterwards Berrington told Sky Sports: “We got a couple of wickets early on and maybe didn’t capitalise on that. “It was a fantastic effort in the last 15 [overs] to bowl them out for under 250. We knew we had to be smart with our fields. We were up with the rate the whole way through. “It’s obviously disappointing to fall short, but we’ve just seen the value of having wickets in hand. “We just need to look to come back strong for the next game.”
Paul Stirling’s 162 helps Ireland beat United Arab Emirates
Bulawayo (Agencies): Paul Stirling’s outstanding 162 helped Ireland beat the United Arab Emirates by 138 runs in their final World Cup Qualifier Group B game in Bulawayo.
Stirling smashed 15 fours and eight sixes on his way to his mammoth total, with Andrew Balbirnie (66) and Harry Tector (57) helping Ireland to 349-4.
Stirling’s second-wicket partnership with Balbirnie yielded 184 runs. Waseem Muhammad’s 45 gave UAE hope but wickets fell regularly thereafter as they were all out for 211.
Ireland’s interest in the qualifying tournament had already ended after defeats by Oman, Scotland and Sri Lanka in their opening three fixtures. They finished second bottom of Group B, thereby missing out on the Super Sixes.
After McBrine’s dismissal for 24 in the ninth over left Ireland 41-1, opener Stirling and Balbirnie’s impressive second-wicket stand was accumulated in just two balls short of 30 overs.
Tector’s contribution was another significant one and Lorcan Tucker (19) and George Dockrell (15) were undefeated come the conclusion of their side’s 50 overs. Sanchit Sharma was the pick of the UAE bowlers with figures of 3-46.
Skipper Muhammad led by example with his quickfire knock of 45 off just 32 balls but there was a lack of support from the remainder of the batting line-up, bar 44 from Sharma and 39 from Basil Hameed.
Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Dockrell and Curtis Campher took two wickets apiece.
