Matches (15)
IPL (2)
Pakistan vs New Zealand (1)
WT20 Qualifier (4)
County DIV1 (4)
County DIV2 (3)
PAK v WI [W] (1)

Scotland vs Afghanistan, 15th Match, Group B at Edinburgh, , Jul 12 2015 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
15th Match, Group B, Edinburgh, July 12, 2015, ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier
(19.2/20 ov, T:211) 173

Afghanistan won by 37 runs

Player Of The Match
75 (36)
mohammad-shahzad
New
SCOT
Full commentary

It's time for us to walk off as well. Thanks for your company and your comments. See you tomorrow

"Our country is praying for us and that's why we're winning," says Stanikzai, "Today was a great performance. Specially Shahzad and Nabi. Guys are doing well, hopefully we'll keep trying our best and if we win two more matches we will go straight away into the semi-final" Appreciates the crowd support after that and walks off

said bakhtiar s: "Unbelievable !!!!!!!! Fir works in jala abad and in all Afghanistan"

"In the end too many runs given away. Tough day. They came really hard, took their chances and came off for them," Preston Mommsen says, "That is the plan always, to target the opposition. Had specific plans for each batter. But they played spin better than we did. And they hit the big shots really well. We wanted to bowl the majority of overs with spin, left-arm spin. But we didn't keep the boundary could down. It is a tournament, it's quite a short one. The important thing is to peak at the right team. We were good against UAE, below par the last two days. We have a bit of a rest, go back to the drawing board, check the team combination as well"

Mohammad Shahzad is the Man of the Match for his 75 off 36 balls. "Happy that we've won, three consecutive wins as well. Straight boundaries were very short and I wanted to exploit that. And not hitting against the wind. Our targets was rotating strike and waiting for loose delivery to hit every ball out of the ground. [So was every ball a bad ball?] Ah, yes. [laughs] Pitch was very good for batting, that's why we got the 200. Hope we qualify to the World T20 on the back of this"

The crowd fill onto the field, mostly Aghanistan fans who rush to their team for a few handshakes. Flags in tow. Selfie time, Celebration time. Contemplation time. "Come on," yells Shazad into the camera. It was his blistering innings that set this win up. Took the total too far beyond Scotland's reach. Indeed 210 is the most Afghanistan have ever made in a T20 game.

Scotland needed a big innings. They got a couple of cameos, strung some dangerous partnerships as well. But they were facing a much better bowling attack. The seamers were bowling full as epitomised by Hamid Hassan's yorkers, he got 3 for 29. He also seems to be struggling with a back problem. Mirwais Ashraf was hard to get away. And Mohammad Nabi bowled some clever off spin to finish with 3 for 25.

19.2
W
Zadran to Sharif, OUT

is that it? Well taken at long-on. It's the slower ball again, legcutter. The batsman goes for a wild swing, mistimes it. Shafiqullah runs in and takes it nicely.

Safyaan Sharif c Shafiqullah b Dawlat Zadran 8 (7b 1x4 0x6 12m) SR: 114.28
19.1
Zadran to Sharif, no run

slower ball outside off, Sharif moves away to try and smear it over the off side. No connection

Dawlat for the last over

end of over 192 runs • 2 wickets
SCOT: 173/9CRR: 9.10 RRR: 38.00
Safyaan Sharif8 (5b 1x4)
Mark Watt1 (1b)
Hamid Hassan 4-0-29-3
Mohammad Nabi 4-0-25-3

Hassan calls for some help from the dressing room as he limps off the field

18.6
1
Hamid to Sharif, 1 run

full toss outside off, he throws his bat at it and gets a bottom edge past the keeper

18.5
1
Hamid to Watt, 1 run

goes around the wicket to the left-handed Watt. Driven into the coveres

18.4
W
Hamid to Evans, OUT

another one, cleaned him up with a top-class yorker. Full on middle and off, Evans swings helplessly. Had no chance. Is something the matter with him though? Didn't celebrate at all, and went down on his haunches. A back problem?

Alasdair Evans b Hamid Hassan 0 (3b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 0
18.3
Hamid to Evans, no run

another excellent yorker just outside off, Evans swings and misses

18.2
Hamid to Evans, no run

bowls the yorker off the short run and gets it to reverse swing. Just about kept out

Evans at No. 10

18.1
W
Hamid to de Lange, OUT

off comes middle! Its full, it's straight, it's fast. The tailender swings and misses, the ball kisses the pads and deflects onto the stumps. de Lange walks back head down.

Con de Lange b Hamid Hassan 1 (2b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 50

Hassan's in for his last over... It's 40 from 12.... Short boundary on the leg side

end of over 188 runs • 1 wicket
SCOT: 171/7CRR: 9.50 RRR: 20.00
Safyaan Sharif7 (4b 1x4)
Con de Lange1 (1b)
Mohammad Nabi 4-0-25-3
Hamid Hassan 3-0-27-1
17.6
M Nabi to Sharif, no run

fires it on on middle and leg and the batsman can only punch it back at the bowler

Afghanistan were 178 for 4 at the same stage

17.5
2
M Nabi to Sharif, 2 runs

fires in on the pads, clipped away wide of long-on for a couple. Good shot

17.4
1
M Nabi to de Lange, 1 run

slog sweep again, but there is protection at deep square leg

17.3
1
M Nabi to Sharif, 1 run

full on the base of leg stump, pushed to long-off

17.2
4
M Nabi to Sharif, FOUR runs

another low full toss that's pushed to long-on

17.1
W
M Nabi to Leask, OUT

skis down the track, gets it on the full and flicks it down the throat of deep midwicket. Hit it well enough, but didn't pick the gap. Leask is utterly disconsolate as he stands in the middle of the pitch, while Shahzad exults wildly

Michael Leask c Najibullah Zadran b Mohammad Nabi 10 (9b 1x4 0x6 21m) SR: 111.11

48 off 18 now...

end of over 1710 runs • 1 wicket
SCOT: 163/6CRR: 9.58 RRR: 16.00
Michael Leask10 (8b 1x4)
Safyaan Sharif0 (0b)
Hamid Hassan 3-0-27-1
Samiullah Shinwari 2-0-18-0
16.6
1
Hamid to Leask, 1 run

full and pushed into the pads, he is very nervous behind it. Looks to nudge it away. has to settle for a leg bye

Sharif is in, which means we're into the Scotland tail

Ivo: "Not sure if it was the record, but the famous NL - Ireland match last year contained 30 sixes... 19 of which in the chase"

16.5
W
Hamid to Mommsen, OUT

that's the last nail in the coffin? It's a full toss, Mommsen this time gets under this a bit too much. Gets way too much height on the swipe over wide long-on. Shafiqullah runs to his right and takes a good, sliding catch

Preston Mommsen c Shafiqullah b Hamid Hassan 44 (20b 3x4 4x6 24m) SR: 220
16.4
1
Hamid to Leask, 1 run

full and speared in on off stump, gets a thick inside edge to long leg. FIfty partnership again

16.3
1
Hamid to Mommsen, 1 run

shot! It's full and outside off, Mommsen heaves it away to deep midwicket

16.2
6
Hamid to Mommsen, SIX runs

full toss outside off, takes a thick outside edge and soars away to the third man boundary. That's very very timely. Is this a no-ball though. Nope. It's legal, Mommsen's not pleased

16.1
1
Hamid to Leask, 1 run

squirted off the inside edge to deep midwicket. Doesn't like that it's just a single as he jogs across and slams his bat into his pad

Scotland and Afghanistan are at it again. 58 needed off 24 balls. Could happen... Stanikzai and Hamid are directing the field with a little more zest. They know this is threatening

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
Scotland Innings
<1 / 3>

ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier

Group A
TEAMMWLPTNRR
IRE64281.356
HKG63270.614
NAM63270.314
PNG63270.113
USA6336-0.321
JER6244-0.523
NEP6143-1.499
Group B
TEAMMWLPTNRR
SCOT64281.205
NED64281.151
AFG63180.690
OMA63270.374
KENYA6327-0.645
UAE6143-1.688
CAN6051-1.295