Scotland qualify, the tournament’s hosts, won their fifth consecutive match against Denmark at the Grange to claim the second qualification spot at the European T20 World Cup Qualifier Regional Final in Edinburgh. This means that Scotland will join Ireland, who also went undefeated in the tournament, at the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the United States.
Scotland qualify still needed at least one point today to guarantee their advance with one game to play, but Ireland had already clinched their spot thanks to a washout at Goldenacre versus Germany in the morning’s second encounter. Rain shortened the match by four overs, but Scotland still managed to win by 33 runs thanks to a half century from captain Richie Berrington and a clinical display with the ball (though not so much in the field), with Brad Currie’s 3/18 being the standout. They will now play the Irish in the tournament’s de facto final tomorrow.
Scotland qualifying the 2nd slot
Danish captain Hamid Shah, who had to leave the competition early for personal reasons, won the toss and requested the Scots to bat, putting the Danes in an advantageous position early on. Saif Ahmad started out with a maiden to George Munsey, and it took until the 16th delivery of the innings for the first boundary to be scored. That was when Oli Hairs slog swept Ahmad over the square rope for six, then repeated the stroke with the next ball, and finally swept finer and flatter for four wide of short fine. However, the Danes persisted, and while Munsey managed to draw Surya Anand round behind square for four an over later, Nicolaj Damgaard struck with the first ball of the following over to pin Hairs in ahead. With Scotland in danger at 34-2 after 6 overs, Damgaard took another wicket on the first ball of his next over when Munsey returned a straightforward return catch to the left arm spinner.
The rate started to creep up, but Berrington and Brandon McMullen dug in to rebuild, sprinting hard for twos to impose pressure on the fielders despite the wet ball and outfield. McMullen miscued to Abdullah Mahmood at cover sweeper, who took a sliding catch, while trying to lift Lucky Malik over extra, but it didn’t deter the Scottish skipper in the least. Berrington, seemingly alone in his understanding of the field, reached fifty off just 27 deliveries by launching a Lucky Malik delivery over the sight screen for six. He was out for 60 off 32 balls as he tried to play a wide, slow full toss from Saud Munir with his hands and edged it to short third, but Scotland reached 159 for 7 at the half-way point with to cameos from Michael Leask and Chris Greaves. Damgaard finished with 3-23 from his four overs and Scotland qualify.
Scotland qualify Damgaard’s dismal run with the bat continued as he spooned Currie’s second ball up high over mid off, where Safyaan Sharif took a challenging catch following back up the hill. The Danes would need him to finally come off in his position as opener. After Taranjit Singh top-edged a sweep off Watt, the asking rate quickly rose. However, captain Shah, like his Scottish counterpart, played something of a lone hand through the middle overs to keep his side in it, scoring fifty off the 35th ball by cutting Gavin Main over backward point for six. With the asking rate well over 20 an over, the game was effectively finished when Shah was out for 56 off 42 balls, clipping a back-of-a-length ball from Sharif into his stumps with 15 balls remaining. Sharif and Currie bowled the last overs, and they were too much for the tail end of the opposition’s batting lineup to handle. Three more wickets fell to high catches as Scotland sealed a decisive victory.
Scotland qualify Damgaard’s dismal run with the bat continued as he spooned Currie’s second ball up high over mid off, where Safyaan Sharif took a challenging catch following back up the hill. The Danes would need him to finally come off in his position as opener. After Taranjit Singh top-edged a sweep off Watt, the asking rate quickly rose. However, captain Shah, like his Scottish counterpart, played something of a lone hand through the middle overs to keep his side in it, scoring fifty off the 35th ball by cutting Gavin Main over backward point for six. With the asking rate well over 20 an over, the game was effectively finished when Shah was out for 56 off 42 balls, clipping a back-of-a-length ball from Sharif into his stumps with 15 balls remaining. Sharif and Currie bowled the last overs, and they were too much for the tail end of the opposition’s batting lineup to handle. Three more wickets fell to high catches as Scotland qualify sealed a decisive victory.
progress had already been assured for some minutes prior to the final ball, and the news that the afternoon match at Goldenacre between Italy and Austria had been called off due to an inundated outfield did little to dampen the mood in the home camp Scotland qualify.
Scotland qualify While technically there is nothing riding on the final match of the tournament at the Grange besides pride and two unbeaten records, Scotland and Ireland will both be keen to secure some silverware, especially since Italy’s match tomorrow morning against Germany and the Danes’ final match against Jersey are effectively consolation games.