Bangladesh v Scotland
Wisden's review of the 27th match, Bangladesh v Scotland
15-Apr-2016
At Nelson, March 5, 2015. Bangladesh won by six wickets. Toss: Bangladesh.
Both sides passed 300 for the first time in a World Cup, but Bangladesh's hopes of a quarter-final rose after their self-assured batting saw them home with their highest secondinnings total. In former days they might have panicked after Soumya Sarkar was caught down the leg side in the second over - which effectively made it five for two, as the regular opener Anamul Haque had badly injured his shoulder while fielding, and didn't play again in the tournament. But Tamim Iqbal drove resplendently, falling five short of Bangladesh's first World Cup century, while the middle order took advantage of a flat pitch, short boundaries and some ragtag bowling. "The coach said we should bat like we're batting first," said Tamim, "not to think about the total." Coetzer's magnificent 156 in 134 balls, the highest World Cup score by an Associate player - beating Dave Houghton's 142 for Zimbabwe against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1987 - deserved better. After an austere start as Scotland stuttered through soft dismissals for MacLeod and Gardiner, Coetzer showed that classical orthodoxy is no impediment to fast scoring. His straight-drives, often lofted, were struck with supreme timing and power: when he heaved Rubel Hossain over long-on for six, he brought up Scotland's maiden World Cup hundred, to trigger a spectacular assault on Bangladesh's seamers. Berrington and Cross then hit out in the death overs. Though 318 was over 100 clear of Scotland's highest total against a Full Member - among the Associates only Ireland had scored more in a World Cup game - another 20 runs might have brought that long-awaited victory. TIMWIGMORE Man of the Match: K. J. Coetzer
Both sides passed 300 for the first time in a World Cup, but Bangladesh's hopes of a quarter-final rose after their self-assured batting saw them home with their highest secondinnings total. In former days they might have panicked after Soumya Sarkar was caught down the leg side in the second over - which effectively made it five for two, as the regular opener Anamul Haque had badly injured his shoulder while fielding, and didn't play again in the tournament. But Tamim Iqbal drove resplendently, falling five short of Bangladesh's first World Cup century, while the middle order took advantage of a flat pitch, short boundaries and some ragtag bowling. "The coach said we should bat like we're batting first," said Tamim, "not to think about the total." Coetzer's magnificent 156 in 134 balls, the highest World Cup score by an Associate player - beating Dave Houghton's 142 for Zimbabwe against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1987 - deserved better. After an austere start as Scotland stuttered through soft dismissals for MacLeod and Gardiner, Coetzer showed that classical orthodoxy is no impediment to fast scoring. His straight-drives, often lofted, were struck with supreme timing and power: when he heaved Rubel Hossain over long-on for six, he brought up Scotland's maiden World Cup hundred, to trigger a spectacular assault on Bangladesh's seamers. Berrington and Cross then hit out in the death overs. Though 318 was over 100 clear of Scotland's highest total against a Full Member - among the Associates only Ireland had scored more in a World Cup game - another 20 runs might have brought that long-awaited victory. TIMWIGMORE Man of the Match: K. J. Coetzer