Scotland cruise into T20 World Cup Super 12 stage with eight-wicket victory over Oman | Cricket News

Oman bowled out for 122 in final Group B game in Muscat with Josh Davey taking 3-25; Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer then found his form with a hard-hitting 41 to set up his side’s third successive victory; watch T20 World Cup live in full on Sky Sports between now and November 14

Scotland booked their place in the T20 World Cup Super 12 stage with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Oman.

Hosts Oman were bowled out for 122 in Muscat and Scotland eased home with three overs to spare after captain Kyle Coetzer made a timely return to form with a hard-hitting 41.

The win maintained the Scots’ 100 per cent record in the competition and ensured they topped Group B, meaning they progress into Group 2 of the Super 12s alongside Afghanistan, India, New Zealand and Pakistan – the first time they have reached the second stage of a World Cup.

Bangladesh, who had earlier defeated Papua New Guinea by 84 runs, finish second in the group and move into Group 1 where they will face England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies.

Oman made a disastrous start to their innings with key man Jatinder Singh run out off the second ball – the first delivery he faced – after hitting the ball straight to Mark Watt at mid-on and charging down the wicket as Aqib Ilyas remained stationary at the other end.

Oman opener Jatinder Singh leaves the field after being dismissed for a duck

A frustrated Kashyap Prajapati (three) then lofted the fit-again Safyaan Sharif (2-25) straight to George Munsey at mid-off to leave the hosts on 13-2 before Ilyas and Mohammed Nadeem settled things down.

The pair put on 38 for the third wicket, but Ilyas fell for 37 – his 35-ball innings featuring two sixes and three fours – in the 10th over when he picked out Munsey at long-off in Michael Leask’s first over.

Leask (2-13) and his fellow spinners Watt (1-23) and Chris Greaves (0-9 from two overs) applied the brakes well for Scotland, although Nadeem struck a couple of sweet sixes before he departed for 25 to a sharp catch by Richie Berrington off Watt.

Scotland’s players celebrate the dismissal of Oman’s Kashyap Prajapati

Captain Zeeshan Maqsood (34) managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over for Oman in the later stages of the innings to help lift his side to 122, although he became one of three late victims for Josh Davey (3-25), who claimed his third wicket from the final ball of the innings when Fayyaz Butt (seven) was caught by Greaves at point.

Munsey and Coetzer gave Scotland a solid start to their innings with a 33-run opening partnership before Munsey fell for 20 when he pulled Butt (1-26) straight to Jatinder at deep square-leg.

That was the signal for Coetzer, who has been struggling for runs of late, to up his game and he ended the powerplay with a huge 91-metre six over long-off from the bowling of Maqsood to move to 19.

An 84-metre maximum over deep mid-wicket off Butt followed in the next over along with a powerful four through extra cover, but he topped the lot in the ninth over from Nadeem by smashing a 93-metre monster out of the ground at deep mid-wicket.

However, just when he looked set, Coetzer played around a full delivery from Khawar Ali (1-27) to depart for 41 from just 28 deliveries.

That brought Matthew Cross and Berrington together at 75-2 – the pair had put on 92 in the victory over Papua New Guinea and they once again combined to good effect to guide Scotland to victory in style.

Matthew Cross and Richie Berrington celebrate after clinching victory for Scotland

Cross continued to play steadily as he finished unbeaten with 26 from 35 balls, but Berrington took up the cudgel from Coetzer with a massive straight six off Ali – measured at 99 metres and easily topping his skipper’s new longest-of-the-tournament mark which he had set a few minutes earlier.

Another six followed in the same over and that was effectively the win wrapped up, with Berrington sealing the victory with a flourish at the end of the 17th over, bowled by Nadeem, with a four and then a six to move to 31 not out from 21 balls.

WHAT THE CAPTAINS SAID

Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer: « It’s a great feeling. For Cricket Scotland and back home, it’s huge. The opportunity to play on the biggest stage, the opportunity to test ourselves against the best and grow the game back home. The following has been immense.

« There is a real togetherness amongst our squad. We have been through thick and thin. A number of these players were at the last T20 World Cup and learned from our experiences there of just missing out on the group stage. The guys have put in a lot of hard work over the last couple of years, developing their game and the coaching staff have obviously done a fantastic job.

Coetzer combined with George Munsey to put on 33 for the first wicket for Scotland

« The guys are in a great place, playing some excellent cricket and you can see a pretty well-established outfit really in terms of with bat, ball, and in the field.

« There’s no reason [to now] fear any games in that group. The tournament is going to be tough, it’s going to be an extremely good and exciting group, but we will go into every game full of hope and belief that we are capable of winning some more games of cricket while we are out here. »

Oman’s Zeeshan Maqsood: « It’s a chance that we have lost. But life does not end, so we will work on it. We didn’t bat very well and were not able to put a good total on the board. It’s difficult to defend and we bowled also a few short balls and we didn’t get breakthroughs. »

WHAT’S NEXT?

With Group B wrapped up, attention now turns to the final two Group A matches in Sharjah on Friday, with Ireland first up against Namibia (11am) with the winners guaranteed to qualify for the Super 12 stage after their earlier wins over the Netherlands and defeats to Sri Lanka.

Namibia vs Ireland

October 22, 2021, 10:30am

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Sri Lanka then take on the Dutch (3pm) as they look to preserve their 100 per cent record and top the group which would take them into Group 1 alongside England, South Africa, Australia, West Indies and Bangladesh.

Group 1 action then kicks off the Super 12 stage on Saturday with Australia and South Africa first up at 11am, with England then taking on defending champions West Indies (3pm) in a repeat of the 2016 final.

Watch the T20 World Cup live on Sky between now and November 14. Group A concludes on Friday with the crucial clash between Ireland and Namibia from 10.30am live on Sky Sports Cricket, followed by Sri Lanka against the Netherlands from 2.30pm.