BELFAST (Ireland), July 6: Canada sealed a dramatic two-wicket victory over favourites Holland to leave three teams contesting the top two places in Group ‘B’ of the ICC Trophy on a rain-disrupted Tuesday.
There was hardly any play in Group ‘A’ matches with hosts Ireland made to until the final round of preliminary fixtures to secure a place in the 2007 World Cup after their game against already-eliminated United States was abandoned with a ball bowled.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) kept their slender hopes of qualifying for the mega event alive after sharing a point with Denmark once rain had the final word.
However, there was action in the other group. Papua New Guinea scored their first win of the tournament with a comfortable 93-run defeat of the luckless Oman who were shot out for mere 41 in a 24-over game.
Scotland, meanwhile, became the only side in the 12-team competition to claim maximum points after four rounds with a 27-run success against Namibia.
Ryan Watson was Scottish star with a belligerent knock of 87 that propelled his team to 236 for seven in the available 33 overs. Watson, who hit 11 fours and one six during his 82-ball innings, dominated a second-wicket stand worth 99 with opener Fraser Watts (47).
Gerrie Snyman followed his four for 41 with a swashbuckling 45 off 28 deliveries, including three sixes and four fours, but his heroics weren’t enough the Namibians were all out for 209 at the start of the penultimate over of the match.
Crag Wright, the Scotland captain, claimed four for 46 while paceman Dougie Brown took three crucial wickets.
But the real drama took place at Eglinton where Canada won with just one ball to spare after being asked to chase 160 in 30 overs under Duckworth/Lewis Method. Opener Desmond Chumney inspired the Canadians with a 79-ball 64 after skipper John Davison had become one five victims of speedster Billy Stelling.
Earlier, the Dutch rallied through Feiko Kloppenburg to reach 187 for nine in 35 overs. Kloppenburg clobbered an unbeaten 57 off 45 balls after Holland had slipped to 96 for six.
Tuesday’s results:
Group ‘A’:
At Comber: Bermuda v Uganda, no result.
UGANDA 12-0 in 3 overs.
At Bangor: Denmark v United Arab Emirates, no result.
UAE 57-3 in 15.2 overs (Arshad Ali 25; H.S. Hansen 2-29, T.M. Hansen 1-26).
At Waringstown: Ireland v United States of America, match abandoned without a ball bowled.
Group ‘B’:
At Drummond: Papua New Guinea beat Oman by 93 runs.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA 134-7 in 24 overs (G.G. Keimelo 27, J. Ovia 25; H.J. Mehta 2-19, Mohammad Asif 2-29); OMAN 41 in 15.1 overs (Mohammad Asif 10; I. Baeau 3-7, R. Dikana 2-6, J.L. Brazier 2-6, G.G. Keimelo 2-15).
At Limavady: Scotland beat Namibia by 27 runs.
SCOTLAND 236-7 in 33 overs (R.R. Watson 87, D.F. Watts 47, C.V. English 40; G. Snyman 4-41); NAMIBIA 209 in 31.1 overs (G. Snyman 45, S.F. Burger 37, A.J. Burger 25, D.B. Kotze 22, D. Keulder 21, L.J. Burger 20; C.M. Wright 4-46, D.R. Brown 3-42).
At Eglinton: Canada beat Holland by two wickets (D/L Method).
HOLLAND 187-9 in 35 overs (J.F. Kloppenburg 57 not out, T.B.M. de Leede 33, D.J. Reekers 24; U. Bhatti 2-31, D.E.S. Maxwell 2-46, G.R. Codrington 2-49); CANADA 162-8 in 29.5 overs (D.R. Chumney 64, I.S. Billcliff 38; W.F. Stelling 5-30, J.F. Kloppenburg 2-28).—Agencies