The seventh and eighth match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 witnessed Scotland defeat Ireland in a last-over thriller at the Queens Sports Club and Oman edge past UAE at the Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Speaking of the seventh match of the tournament, Scotland invited Ireland to bat first after winning the toss. However, the Scottish bowlers failed to keep up with the expectations, and Ireland eventually posted a competitive score of 286 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Curtis Campher played a magnificent innings for the Irish team and scored a brilliant 120 runs off just 108 deliveries. His knock was filled with exquisite strokes and well-timed shots. George Dockrell also made a valuable contribution, scoring 69 runs off 93 balls. Their partnership provided stability to the Ireland innings.
Brandon McMullen was the standout bowler for Scotland, grabbing five wickets for 34 runs. His exceptional bowling performance caused trouble for the Irish batters and helped restrict the opposition’s scoring rate.
Chasing a target of 287 runs, Scotland fought back strongly and managed to reach the total with just one wicket in hand and one ball to spare. Michael Leask played a vital innings, smashing 91 runs off just 61 deliveries. Christopher McBride also contributed with a solid knock of 56 runs off 60 balls. Although Mark Adair bagged three scalps for Ireland, his efforts went in vain as Scotland held their nerve and secured a thrilling victory in a closely contested battle.
On the other hand, Oman opted to bowl first against UAE in the eighth match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023. Asked to bat first, The UAE began their innings with determination. Vriitya Aravind and Aayan Khan led the charge for their team and provided a solid foundation for their team. Aravind played a steady knock of 49 runs off 84 deliveries. Meanwhile, Aayan accelerated the scoring rate with a quickfire 58 off just 52 balls.
Michael Leask, take a bow 🙇#cricket #WorldCupQualifiers #CWC23 #IREvSCO #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/a93VYEnBZt
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 21, 2023
Oman’s bowlers, led by Jay Odedra, put up a disciplined performance, picking up crucial wickets at regular intervals. Odedra was the standout performer, finishing with figures of 3/31, which helped his team restrict UAE to 227-8 in their allotted 50 overs.
In reply, Oman began their innings confidently, knowing the importance of a victory in this crucial encounter. Aqib Ilyas anchored the innings with a patient knock of 53 runs off 75 deliveries, stabilizing the chase. Shoaib Khan provided the necessary impetus with his innings of 52 runs off 70 balls. UAE’s bowlers, led by Junaid Siddique and Rohan Mustafa, fought back admirably, each claiming two wickets and attempting to halt Oman’s progress. However, Oman’s batters remained composed and managed to achieve the target with four overs and five wickets to spare.
Back to back wins for Oman#cricket #OMAvUAE #CWC23 #WorldCupQualifiers #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/CQC3mNWmOZ
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) June 21, 2023
