Wright’s boys will thunder Down Under

It tots up now to 12 wins from the last 13 qualifying games for our U19s, when you add last year’s European qualifying stage victory in Jersey.

“We’ve been delighted with how things have gone,” said exultant team coach, 194-times capped Craig Wright.

“The lads have shown great resilience, and, thanks to some highly professional and disciplined displays, we managed to turn around a few games from some pretty perilous positions”

Indeed they did. Reeling from a shock first match loss by six runs to unfavoured Canada, who didn’t even make the final batch of six qualifiers, the Scots rallied immediately, easing to a 57-run win over Nepal.

Straightforward wins were also recorded against USA and Vanuatu, but no fewer than five matches – against Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, Namibia, and Kenya – were all close-run, tight affairs, with the Scots able to dig themselves out of several unpromising situations.

Wright is at pains to stress this latest success is very much a team effort, but several outstanding individual performances catch the eye. Captain Paddy Sadler of Grange – who became a Cambridge Blue in last month’s Varsity Match victory over Oxford at Fenner’s, returning figures of 39-8-81-2 along with a handy first innings 34 at number 10 – marshalled our boys brilliantly, and his four wickets against Nepal, including 0 for 2 with his first three balls, set the bullish tone for the later battles.

Spinners Kyle Smith (West Lothian) and Ross McLean (Arbroath) performed splendidly, the latter recording the tournament’s top economy rate of 2.33, marginally ahead of proven Irish left-arm spinner George Dockrell, already a veteran of 23 Irish ODIs, who took 3 for 27 in eight overs for Somerset against Glamorgan on Sunday past.

The Scots also owed much to some major batting stars. Freddie Coleman, ex-Penicuik, who made his full Scotland debut against Notts in May, notched 339 runs. Former Kinross batsman Peter Ross, now at Heriot’s, played a series of fine hands, not least a vital unbeaten 71-ball 60 to see the side home by just two wickets and one ball against the fancied Irish.

Burgeoning Grange batter Henry Edwards hit a crucial 69 from 43 in another desperately close two-wicket win against PNG. Aberdeenshire and Notts Academy keeper Matthew Cross, man-of-the-match against Kenya, and tipped by Colin Smith as the Saltires’ next gloveman, made some useful quick-fire runs at the top of the order to complement his 12 catches and four stumpings behind the sticks.

Forfarshire all-rounder Aman Bailwal also starred, with 198 key runs to go with his 15 wickets.

It’s now full steam ahead for the gallant young Scots as they prepare for the 2012 World Cup in Queensland in a year’s time, where we’ve been drawn in Group B alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Pakistan – twice winners and runners-up last time round. It’s a tough draw. But don’t back against Wright’s bravehearts. They’ve already done their country very proud.