Cricket: Scots go down to the wire for consolation win

Seeking to bow out on a high after seeing their bid to qualify for the finals ended by yesterday’s defeat to the Netherlands, Scotland looked set to be disappointed as, despite just needing around a run a ball for most of the final seven overs, they were left requiring a boundary off the final delivery to reach their victory target of 136. But after conceding just three runs off his previous five balls, Canada captain Rizwan Cheema saw his sixth delivery smashed to the rope by Flannigan as Scotland snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, finishing on 136 for six.

Earlier, Richie Berrington had shone with bat and ball to leave Scotland looking favourites for much of the match. The 24-year-old finished with figures of two for 14 off his two overs as Canada made 135 for eight batting first, and then struck a quickfire 47 as opener to lead Scotland’s run chase. Berrington’s knock, which came off 37 balls and included seven fours, helped his side recover from the early losses of Calum MacLeod and Preston Mommsen, who were both bowled in successive Junaid Siddiqui overs. When Berrington fell, trapped lbw by Parth Desai, Scotland were 67 for three after ten overs with the outcome of the match still in the balance, but steady contributions from middle-order trio Kyle Coetzer (22), Jan Stander (21) and Fraser Watts (18) looked to have put their side in a winning position.

However, it was Canada who assumed the role of favourites when Cheema dismissed Watts from the first ball of the final over and then limited Flannigan and new man Majid Haq to three singles off the next four balls. But, just as victory looked to have slipped away from the Scots, Flannigan found the boundary needed to earn his side the spoils.

Meanwhile, Ireland knocked out the Netherlands by seven wickets to stay in qualifying contention for the World Twenty20 on Friday.

Ireland will face Namibia today for the last spot in the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September. The winner of that preliminary final will meet Afghanistan in the final hours later to determine their group in Sri Lanka. Afghanistan beat Namibia on Thursday in the first preliminary final to make a second consecutive World T20.

Ireland limited the Dutch to 114-7 then cruised to 115-3 in 16.4 overs. Ireland captain William Porterfield pulled off a spectacular catch to dismiss opener Stephan Myburgh for two. Only Alexei Kervezee (56) and Tom Cooper (26) made double figures. Kevin O’Brien claimed the wickets of big-hitting Cooper and Mudassar Bukhari.

Openers Porterfield and Paul Stirling combined for 41 off 26 balls, then Stirling and Ed Joyce added 32 for the second wicket. O’Brien smashed a 22-ball 30 with three sixes to finish the chase.