Impressive win over Italy keeps play-off hopes alive

SCOTLAND produced an efficient performance to keep alive their hopes of T20 World Cup qualification with victory over Italy at the Global Cricket Academy, Dubai, yesterday.

While Sunday’s error-strewn outing against Ireland had left the Saltires on the brink of elimination, Pete Steindl’s men gave the perfect response with arguably the most clinical display of their six-match campaign to date.

The Scottish bowlers exercised much more discipline to restrict their rivals to just 136-8 before Richie Berrington’s assured 67 completed a seven-wicket success with 12 balls to spare.

Steindl said: “The guys have worked really hard to get things right. Bowling-wise, we managed to avoid the big overs and that allowed us to exert more consistent control over their batsmen. It was then nice to see Richie go on and convert a start into a big score.” Needing to score at just seven-runs-an-over, the Saltires suffered a setback when Calum MacLeod was bowled by the left-arm pace of Vince Pennazza for 14. However, Berrington and Preston Mommsen provided a match-winning partnership of 76 as Scotland always stayed ahead of the asking rate.

While Mommsen eventually fell to Middlesex bowler Gareth Berg for a 30-ball 36, Berrington went on to hit six boundaries and three maximums in his 45-ball knock. By the time he was out, bowled by Gayashan Munasinghe, victory was assured.

Earlier, Matty Parker made the crucial early breakthrough when he clean-bowled former Australian Test batsman Michael di Venuto for 8. Italy’s other big-name recruit Berg went on to top-score with 29 but the Scottish bowlers refused to let any batsman dominate, with

Majid Haq once again the stand-out with 2-16 from his four overs.

A further victory against USA today will ensure Scotland’s passage to a play-off phase which will not be for the faint-hearted. Their first test is likely to come against Peter Drinnen’s Dutch before the possibility of a return clash with the Irish and a shoot-out against the winners of the first Qualification final, which looks set to be between Namibia and Afghanistan.

Defeat at any stage of the play-off phase would, however, lead to elimination. Steindl, perhaps unsurprisingly, is not yet looking that far ahead.

“We have to concentrate only on the American game and getting the job done against them,” he added. “Obviously if we beat them that will take us further into the competition and we want to build on the momentum today’s performance has given us.”