Thunderstorm helps Windies keep date with World Cup
HARARE: The weather gods smiled on the West Indies at the right time as the Caribbeans qualified for the ICC World Cup after struggling past a gritty Scotland by five runs via Duckworth-Lewis-Method in a Super Six match of the Qualifier, on Wednesday.
Defending champions Scotland, chasing 199 for a place in the next year’s World Cup, were 125 for five in 35.2 overs when a downpour prevented further play.
While the result ended Scotland’s hopes of featuring in their second successive World Cup and fourth overall since 1999, Afghanistan and Ireland are now back in contention if rain affects Thursday’s match between the United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.
If there is no result, then net run-rate will determine the second qualifier behind the Windies.
In the Super Six winner-take-sall match, the Windies, put in to bat, lost Chris Gayle in the very first ball of the match, his seventh career golden duck, and then saw Shai Hope return to the pavilion 12 balls later to slip to two for two.
Evin Lewis (66) and Marlon Samuels (51) revived the Windies’ innings by adding 121 runs for the third wicket in 168 balls. But, as the Windies looked set to post a decent score, Lewis departed and 12 runs later Samuels and Shimron Hetmyer also returned to the hut.
The Windies innings was wrapped up for 198 in 48.4 overs, with the last eight wickets falling for just 75 runs in close to 18 overs.
The Windies needed quick wickets to not only qualify for the World Cup but also end Scotland’s dreams of featuring in the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over event for the second successive time and fourth since 1999.
And Kemar Roach obliged Jason Holder by accounting for the in-form Kyle Coetzer and Michael Jones, while the captain dismissed Matthew Cross as Scotland slipped to 25 for three.
The Windies, sniffing a win, continued to apply pressure and were eventually rewarded at the score of 67 in the third over when Ashley Nurse brilliantly caught Calum MacLeod (21) off his own bowling to end the 42-run resistance and then dismissed Berrington (33) was adjudged leg before as Scotland slipped to 105 for five.
Brief scores: West Indies 198 in 48.4 overs (Evin Lewis 66, Marlon Samuels 51, Carlos Brathwaite 24; Safyaan Sharif 3-27, Brad Wheal 3-34, Michael Leask 2-36) bt Scotland 125 for 5 in 35.2 overs (Richie Berrington 33, George Munsey 32*; Kemar Roach 2-20, Ashley Nurse 2-35) .