The ongoing ICC ODI World Cup Qualifiers 2023 witnessed an intense clash between Zimbabwe and Scotland in Match 06 of the Super Sixes round at Queens Sports Club.
Put to bat, Scotland posted a competitive total of 234/8 in their allotted 50 overs. Michael Leask played a crucial innings, smashing 48 runs off just 34 deliveries, including three boundaries and two sixes. Christopher McBride contributed 28 runs, while Matthew Cross scored 38 runs. Brandon McMullen added a quickfire 34 runs to the scoreboard, supported by George Munsey’s 31 runs.
The Zimbabwean bowlers put up a disciplined performance, with Tendai Chatara taking two wickets and Richard Ngarava and Sean Williams picking up a wicket each.
Chasing a target of 235 runs, Zimbabwe struggled to find stability in their batting order. Ryan Burl was the standout performer for Zimbabwe, scoring a brilliant 83 runs off 84 deliveries, which included eight boundaries and a six.
Wesley Madhevere made a valuable contribution with 40 runs, while Sikandar Raza added 34 runs to the scoreboard. However, the rest of the Zimbabwean batters failed to make significant contributions. Chris Sole and Brandon McMullen were the pick of the Scottish bowlers, taking three and two wickets respectively. In the end, Zimbabwe fell short of the target, getting bowled out for 203 runs in 41.1 overs, giving Scotland a victory by 31 runs.
In the 7th Place Play-off of the CWC Qualifiers 2023, Ireland took on Nepal in an exciting encounter at the Takashinga Sports Club. Put in to bat, Nepal set a challenging target of 269 runs for Ireland, posting a total of 268/9 in their allotted 50 overs.
Arjun Saud top-scored for Nepal with a well-played 48 runs, supported by Gulshan Kumar Jha‘s impressive knock of 57 runs off just 42 deliveries. Kushal Malla contributed 44 runs, while Sandeep Lamichhane and Rohit Kumar Paudel made valuable contributions. Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, and Craig Young were among the wicket-takers for Ireland, with two wickets each.
In response, Ireland got off to a steady start but lost a few early wickets. However, Harry Tector and Curtis Campher led the fightback with crucial innings. Tector scored 60 runs, while Campher played a vital knock of 62 runs.
Lorcan Tucker and George Dockrell also made valuable contributions with the bat. Nepal bowlers tried to make a comeback, with Karan KC and Kishore Mahato picking up four and two wickets respectively. However, Ireland managed to reach the target with 4 balls to spare, winning the match by 2 wickets.
