Scots stick to their task and set up a tense finale

However, despite playing second fiddle almost throughout the match, the Scots were yesterday offered a glimmer of hope that they may yet salvage a potentially pressure draw from this remarkable game of cricket.

The pressure will be intense as the hitherto unheralded Afghanistan side seek the eight wickets needed to force outright victory but cause for cautious optimism came as a result of a bizarrely delayed declaration by the Afghans.

In setting Scotland a preposterous 546 in 129 overs, captain Nawroz Mangal has closed the door to the possibility of defeat while giving his opponents a possible escape route.

Certainly there was renewed resolve in the way Scotland went about their batting yesterday evening after Afghanistan had taken two sessions and almost 62 overs to score a superb 249-5.

The downside for the Scots was the loss of Fraser Watts, bowled for just eight runs by Afghanistan's first innings bowling hero Hamid Hassan, and Ryan Flannigan. The Watsonians batsman has looked the part in his first class debut but unfortunately fell to Mohammed Nabi near the close.

Flannigan had made 32 from 97 deliveries with five boundaries before being outsmarted by a spinner who remarkably sent down seven consecutive maiden overs.

His departure left club-mate Ewan Chalmers and Greenock's Richie Berrington to see out the day with 37 and 5 respectively as the Scots reached 95-2.

Earlier the Afghan batsmen spent the first two turgid sessions piling on the runs to take the possibility of a Scottish win out of the equation.

To their credit, the home bowlers stuck to their task, generally finding a much better line and length than they had during that first damaging morning of the match.

Seamer Dewald Nel in particular was a transformed figure.On Wednesday Nel appeared to be suffering following a prolonged period of inactivity at Kent.

Yesterday, more match hardened following the first innings and perhaps buoyed by his 36 runs the previous evening, he did enough to stall Afghanistan in their bid for to garner quick runs.

Nel sent down ten often threatening overs for 30 runs and was rewarded with the wicket of Noor Ali, caught behind by Simon Smith.

Majid Haq was the other standout with the ball, the Clydesdale off-spinner claiming two wickets for 66 from twenty-one overs.

In general, though, the first four hours of the third day provided spectators with an opportunity to catch up on a bit of sleep while play drifted wearily towards the inevitable declaration.

Not that Mohammed Shahzad was dosing, the Afghan wicket-keeper/batsman instead compiling a fine 126-ball century and reaching the landmark with a six to finally herald the declaration.

Whether Nawroz should have denied Shahzad his ton and called a halt earlier remains to be seen.