Cricket: A desert storm as Scots lose in Dubai

• Hot stuff: Afghans Samiullah Shinwari, right, and Mirwaz Ashraf, centre, celebrate with Mohammed Nabi. Picture: Donald MacLeod

Afghanistan may have secured a seven-wicket victory over Gordon Drummond's side but cricket was the loser as tempers threatened to boil over in the searing desert heat.

If the Scots only have themselves to blame for a catastrophic second innings batting collapse, it has to be said that they allowed themselves to be provoked into making their own contribution to a game that was marred by a series of gestures and verbal exchanges between both sets of players.

Cricket Scotland president Bob McFarlane was left incensed as fast bowler Matty Parker was the only player singled out for punishment at the end of the ill-tempered clash.

Sri Lankan Kumar Dharmasena and Buddhi Pradhu from Nepal, who warned one Afghan on Friday, allowed a series of appeals to go unchecked as Scotland collapsed to 82 all out in their second innings.

Yet when Scotland adopted similar tactics while attempting to prevent their rivals reaching their 124 victory target, they issued several on-field warnings to skipper Drummond.

And, after the match, they levelled an official charge against Parker, who had pointed to the pavilion after taking a wicket.

McFarlane said: "I don't think I have ever seen such intimidation on a cricket field as we saw from the Afghans. There is a lot of ill-feeling in the Scotland camp.

"I have watched international cricket all over the world and have never witnessed anything like it."

Sadly, the efforts of first-innings Scotland century-maker Neil McCallum and man-of-the-match Hamid Hassan, who claimed eight wickets, were over-shadowed as match referee David Jukes was seen liberally issuing Code of Conduct charges to both camps on the conclusion.

Having built a first-innings lead of 41, Scotland's problems began on Friday afternoon when they slumped to 64-6, a collapse sparked by the run-out of Durham's Kyle Coetzer, the player best equipped to build a potentially match-winning innings.

Sadly, there was no improvement yesterday morning as the Scots lost their final four wickets for just 18 runs in only 40 minutes of play.

That left Afghanistan with a simple target of 124 with more than two days of the scheduled five remaining. And, despite claiming three wickets, Scotland were unable to deny the Afghans their first global tournament success.

The day started badly for Drummond's men when Majid Haq departed in the second over. Richie Berrington, on whom most Scottish hopes were pinned, also went cheaply as the Afghans took charge.

Berrington, batting with a runner after pulling a hamstring, had added just one run to his overnight score, when he edged man-of-the-match Hassan into the slip cordon to depart for ten. It was a sorry procession for the Scots who then lost captain Drummond, clean-bowled by Ashraf.

The Afghans wrapped up the innings when Ross Lyons was controversially given out for a duck.

Scotland had been incensed by a string of farcical appeals by their rivals that saw Sami Shenwari reprimanded on Friday. The intimidatory tactics continued yesterday and insult was added to injury when Lyons was adjudged to have nicked an Ashraf delivery.

Tempers remained frayed on the resumption and Parker was spoken to by the umpires after having Karim Sadiq caught by Neil McCallum. The bowler gave his rival some verbals before ill-advisedly pointing him on his way to the pavilion.

However, the Scots missed the chance to really apply the pressure when a couple of tough catches went down in the slips.

Shabir Noori cashed in to make 35 before being caught behind by Simon Smith off Lyons while Parker enjoyed a second success when he trapped Nawroz Mangal lbw and again incurred the wrath of the officials by gesturing to the pavilion.

However, that was Scotland's final success as an unbeaten 56 from Mo Shahzad eased the Afghans to a seven-wicket win.

Shahzad is never likely to win a popularity contest among Scottish players but there is no doubting his ability as he demonstrated with seven exquisite boundaries.

After the match, a disappointed Drummond played down the Afghans' antics. He said: "Everyone gets hot under the collar. It's international cricket and meant to be played hard. Both teams gave as good as they got and I felt it was all within the spirit of the game.

"Everybody wants to win and so you play it hard."

Drummond, who was only able to bowl two overs in the match because of a rib injury, added: "To lose as we did is disappointing considering the position we were in at one point.

"We put ourselves in a strong position - 40 ahead after the first innings and thought we could kick on.

"But 124 was always going to be very difficult to contain, especially when we were two bowlers down."

Scoreboard

Scotland second innings (First innings 212)

F Watts c Mangal b Shenwari .................. 28

P Mommsen lbw b Shenwari 9

K Coetzer run out 11

G Maiden c Mangal b Shenwari 4

N McCallum c Shahzad b Hassan 0

M Parker b Hassan 0

R Berrington c Stankzai b Hassan 10

M Haq c Mangal b Ashraf 3

S Smith not out 10

G Drummond b Ashraf 4

R Lyons c Shahzad b Ashraf 3

Total (all out, 47.3 overs) 82

Bowling: Hassan 17-6-39-3 Zadran 3-0-13-0 Shenwari 14-7-15-3 Mazari 5-3-2-0 Nabi 2-1-2-0 Ashraf 6.3-4-8-3

Fall: 1-22, 2-41, 3-55, 4-55, 5-55, 6-64, 7-67, 8-77, 9-82,10-82.

Afghanistan second innings (First innings 171)

K Sadiq c McCallum b Parker 7

S Noori c Smith b Lyons ............................ 35

M Shahzad not out 56

N Mangak lbw b Parker 17

M Nabi not out 6

Extras (lb3) 3

Total (for 3 wickets, 26.4 overs) 124

Bowling: Parker 9.4-1-42-2 Coetzer 2-0-12-0 Lyons 8-3-31-1 Haq 7-0-37-0

Fall: 1-22, 2-79,3-108

Afghanistan won by seven wickets