MUSCAT: Richie Berri­ngton smashed 70 to set up Scotland’s second successive win at the Twenty20 World Cup as they beat Papua New Guinea by 17 runs on Tuesday.

Scotland, who shocked Bangladesh in their tournament opener on Sunday, are now on the verge of making the Super 12 stage.

Scotland rode on a crucial 92-run third-wicket stand bet­w­een Berrington and Matt­hew Cross, who hit 45, to post 165 for nine after electing to bat first in the round-one match at the Al-Amerat Cricket Ground.

Fast bowler Josh Davey returned career-best figures of 4-18 to help bowl out Papua New Guinea, who have lost two in two, for 148 in 19.3 overs despite a valiant 37-ball 47 from Norman Vanua.

The seventh-wicket partnership between Vanua and Kiplin Doriga (18) of 53 off 29 balls gave Scotland a scare in the last few overs, but Davey sent back Vanua to dim PNG’s chances of a chase.

Berrington stood out with his attacking batting to lift Scotland from 26-2 and a stunning one-handed catch off Davey to get rid of Simon Atai.

Berrington hit three sixes including one which was measured at 97 metres and six fours in his 49-ball knock. He raised his sixth T20 half-century with a boundary straight down the ground after he lost Cross, playing his 50th T20 International.

PNG took six wickets in the last two overs including Berrington’s key scalp and gave away just 15 runs but Scotland posted their highest total in the T20 World Cup, surpassing their previous best of 156 versus Afgha­nis­t­an in 2016. Left-arm quick Kabua Mor­ea took four wickets wh­ile fellow seam bowler Chad Soper claimed three.

Scoreboard

SCOTLAND:

H.G. Munsey c Siaka b Soper 15

K.J. Coetzer b Morea 6

M.H. Cross c Amini b Atai 45

R.D. Berrington c Amini b Soper 70

C.S. MacLeod c Morea b Soper 10

M.A. Leask run out 9

C.N. Greaves c Siaka b Morea 2

M.R.J. Watt b Morea 0

J.H. Davey c Siaka b Morea 0

A.C. Evans not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-3, NB-1) 8

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 165

FALL OF WKTS: 1-22, 2-26, 3-118, 4-151, 5-153, 6-158, 7-165, 8-165, 9-165.

DID NOT BAT: B.T.J. Wheal.

BOWLING: Pokana 4-0-37-0 (1w); Amini 4-0-41-0 (1w); Morea 4-0-31-4 (1nb, 1w); Soper 4-0-24-3; Siaka 1-0-8-0; Atai 3-0-20-1.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:

T.P. Ura b Davey 2

L. Siaka c Cross b Wheal 9

A. Vala c Wheal b Evans 18

C.J.A. Amini run out 1

S. Bau c Wheal b Greaves 24

S.K. Atai c Berrington b Davey 2

N. Vanua c Cross b Davey 47

K. Doriga st Cross b Watts 18

C.A. Soper c Cross b Davey 16

N. Pokana run out 1

K.V. Morea not out 6

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2) 4

TOTAL (all out, 19.3 overs) 148

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-20, 3-30, 4-33, 5-35, 6-67, 7-120, 8-128, 9-135.

BOWLING: Wheal 4-1-41-1; Davey 3.3-0-18-4; Evans 3-0-22-1; Watt 4-0-23-1 (1w); Leask 2-0-11-0; Greaves 3-0-31-1 (1w).

RESULT: Scotland won by 17 runs.

UMPIRES: H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and R.A. Kettleborough (England).

TV UMPIRE: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Richard Berrington (Scotland).

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2021