Report

Afghanistan qualify, PNG and Scotland stay alive

A round-up of Group B matches of the World Twenty20 qualifiers played on November 24, 2013

Afghanistan 148 for 9 (Zadran 50) beat Kenya 114 (Patel 52, Shenwari 5-13) by 34 runs
Scorecard
Kenya failed to win what was a must-win game for them against Afghanistan, meaning they are out of the running for a spot in the 2014 World Twenty20. Afghanistan's victory meant they topped Group B and ensured their passage into the showpiece Twenty20 event in Bangladesh next year, irrespective of what happens in the playoffs that follow this round.
The victory was a relatively straightforward one for Afghanistan, built on a half-century by No. 3 Noor Ali Zadran and a five-for from legspinner Samiullah Shenwari. Afghanistan were dealt an early blow after choosing to bat, but Zadran and Karim Sadiq counterattacked with 48 in 4.4 overs. After Sadiq fell for 30, Zadran held the innings together. He was out in the penultimate over of the innings, lbw for 50 to Collins Obuya, but by then Afghanistan were well on their way to a competitive total. They ended with 148 for 9.
After a brief sparkle from Kenya's openers, Shenwari proceeded to carve up their top and middle order - he claimed five of the top seven batsmen, and was on a hat-trick at one point of his spell. Kenya never looked like chasing down the total towards the end, despite a half-century from Rakep Patel, and fell well short, bowled out for 114 in 18.2 overs.
Papua New Guinea 168 for 5 (Dai 64*, Ura 47) beat Bermuda 143 for 9 (Hemp 64, Tucker 42, Gavera 3-17)
Scorecard
Papua New Guinea fought their way to a 25-run victory over Bermuda to ensure they stayed in the race for a place in the World Twenty20 2014. Their victory, coupled with Kenya's loss to Afghanistan, meant PNG finished at No. 5 on the Group B points table and edged out Kenya - who finished sixth - for the final spot in the playoffs.
PNG chose to bat and were off to a disastrous start, reduced to 3 for 9 and 4 for 26, before the middle order rescued the innings alongside opener Tony Ura. First Ura was involved in a 76-run stand with Mahuru Dai - who top scored with 64 - at close to nine an over. Then, when Ura fell three short of a half-century, Dai carried the innings forward with Charles Amini. They added 66 in 6.5 overs to lift the team to 168 for 5.
They might have been a tad worried defending that total, with Bermuda at 107 for 2 - the platform for the chase was laid by David Hemp and Janeiro Tucker, who scored 63 in partnership - in the 14th over, but a slide ensued. The Amini brothers, Chris and Charles, were chiefly responsible for that collapse. First Charles removed the well-set Tucker with his legspin, before seamer Chris picked up a wicket and effected a run-out to all but seal the game for PNG.
With two wins in seven games, Bermuda finished second from last in Group B and are out of the running for a place in the World T20.
Scotland 205 for 3 (Machan 90*) beat Denmark 130 for 6 (Pedersen 43) by 75 runs
Scorecard
Scotland beat Denmark by 75 runs to finish in fourth place to keep their chances of qualifying for the World Twenty20 alive. The finish guarantees them a place in the playoffs that begin next week.
Scotland chose to bat and were in trouble early on, losing opener Richie Berrington for 4. It was a minor blip, however, as Matt Machan's second successive half-century set the foundation for a big total. Machan had two big partnerships - a 99-run second-wicket stand with Calum MacLeod and 62-run third wicket stand with Michael Leask that came in just 5.3 overs. Machan finished unbeaten on 90 off 55 balls, with nine fours and four sixes as Scotland finished on a strong 205 for 3.
Faced with a steep target, Denmark struggled throughout, losing wickets regularly. Carsten Pedersen top-scored with 43 off 48 balls as the side crashed to their sixth loss in the tournament to finish last in Group B.
The other teams to make it to the playoff from the group were Netherlands and Nepal.