Scotland lose World T20 opener against Afghanistan despite Coetzer’s 40

TwenTy20: Scots fall short in chase after openers raise hopes against Afghanistan

Scotland’s long wait for a first victory in a global cricket tournament goes on after a 14-run defeat in their opening ICC World Twenty20 fixture against Afghanistan.

Hopes rose during an opening stand of 84 in pursuit of 170 for five in Nagpur that Preston Mommsen’s team might pull off a revenge success following their one-wicket loss to Afghanistan in Dunedin at last year’s World Cup.

But it was not to be, as George Munsey and Kyle Coetzer each fell short of their 50s and then the boundaries dried up on the way to 156 for five.

Mohammad Shahzad ( 61) and Ashgar Stanikzai (55) underpinned Afghanistan’s total after they chose to bat first under lights.

The second-wicket pair put on 82 in 10 overs, the opener the aggressor and his captain more studied throughout.

Shahzad hit three sixes and three fours in his half-century from just 32 balls, and it was only after he holed out to long-on off slow left-armer Mark Watt that Stanikzai upped his tempo too.

He survived a half-chance in the deep on 23 when Richie Berrington could not hold on off Alasdair Evans and went on to complete his 50 in the final over, hitting just a six and a four from 46 balls.

Munsey and Coetzer soon put the chase in fine shape.

But, after Coetzer mis-pulled into the deep, just two balls later at the other end Munsey missed a sweep and was lbw.

Matt Machan and Mommsen himself kept the result in doubt, but, with 21 needed off the last over, Scotland could not find a way to break their duck.

They therefore face an improbable route to qualification from Group B, in which Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, who beat Hong Kong yesterday, are the front-runners.

Getty. Kyle Coetzer: caught in the deep after reaching 40.