Cricket: Scots bowlers put Kenya to sword in T20

SCOTLAND produced a marvellous fightback to win a low-scoring encounter in the first of their two Twenty20 clashes with Kenya in Aberdeen yesterday.

On a slow Mannofield track, boundaries were at a premium and it was the Scots who made better use of the conditions, battling their way to 113 for six before dismissing their visitors for just 78.

Coach Pete Steindl said: “It was a pretty ruthless display – it’s not often you bowl sides out in T20 games. That was pleasing. We always knew 113 was a decent total on that track and the bowlers took early wickets to get their run-rate spiralling.”

Defending a modest total, the Scots needed early wickets and Gordon Goudie obliged when he bowled Alex Obanda with just 11 runs on the board.

Neil Carter got in on the act when he had Morris Ouma caught by Gordon Drummond at mid-on and Drummond had the Kenyans reeling on 22 for three when he bowled Collins Obuya.

Majid Haq had Tamnay Mishra well caught by Moneeb Iqbal at long-on before Calum MacLeod came on to have Rakep Patel caught at deep cover by Goudie. The needless run-out of Irab Karim didn’t help Kenya’s cause and MacLeod trapped Nehemiah Odhiambo in front before Goudie returned to bowl Nelson Odhiambo for a duck and then claimed the final Kenya wicket with seven deliveries still remaining.

Earlier, Scotland slumped to 69 for five after losing MacLeod, Freddie Coleman, Matthew Cross, Richie Berrington for a top score of 29 and Michael Leask. However, the final two overs brought 29 priceless runs, Iqbal’s cameo including the first six of the innings. Goudie matched his colleague with a maximum, while Preston Mommsen finished unbeaten with a valuable 24.

The sides meet for a second T20 game tonight.