Denmark ace rain-hit chase to topple Jersey

After a sterling bowling effort at the death and a two-and-a-half hour delay in a revised chase of 114 from 23 overs, Denmark finished off Jersey with seven wickets and seven balls to spare via Duckworth-Lewis method at Royal Selangor Club.

Opener Nat Watkins was named Man of the Match after top-scoring for Jersey with 86 off 111 balls in a losing cause. But after reaching his fifty off 79 balls in the 30th over, he struggled to accelerate in the stifling heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur.

Appearing energy-sapped, Watkins went 14 overs without a boundary until striking one off left-arm spinner Bashir Shah in the 42nd over. Another four and six came off Bashir's next over before Watkins was bowled charging Bashir to leave Jersey at 194 for 4.

Denmark's bowlers were brilliant at tying down the Jersey middle order with changes of pace. Jersey's last five overs netted only 33 runs, and just 100 runs came off the last 15 despite being at 138 for 1 in 35 overs on a flat pitch that gave the bowlers little to work with. Denmark's attack, however was incredibly disciplined throughout as they conceded just two extras, both of them leg byes.

A day after scoring a century in a win over Bermuda on the same pitch, Freddie Klokker steered the chase, helping Denmark to 55 for 0 in 13 overs, 24 ahead of the D/L par score, when a massive thunderstorm swept across the ground. The field became flooded within an hour but Royal Selangor's solid drainage system allowed play to eventually resume once the rain subsided. The target was revised to 114 in 23 overs, leaving Denmark needing 59 off 60 balls.

Denmark fell slightly behind in the first three overs after play resumed before Zameer Khan struck Watkins for four in a 10-run 17th over to put Denmark ahead again. Klokker and Zameer fell in the next two overs, but Denmark continued to speed away as 11 was taken off Stevens in the 20th over. A head-high no-ball from Watkins clinched the winning runs for Denmark.