Oman also reach next year's World Cup after beating Hong Kong
Wednesday 30 October 2019 19:01, UK
Scotland have qualified for next year's T20 World Cup after thrashing UAE in the play-off in Dubai.
Kyle Coetzer's side racked up 198-6 from their 20 overs with George Munsey top-scoring with 65 from 43 balls and Richie Berrington smashing a blistering 48 from 18 balls.
Safyaan Sharif struck with the third ball of the UAE reply and the hosts never recovered, Sharif (3-21) adding another two scalps and Mark Watt (3-21) also claiming three wickets as Scotland completed a 90-run win.
Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Scotland made a superb start as Munsey and Coetzer (34) put on 87 for the first wicket, laying the foundations that allowed them to kick on so forcefully through Berrington and Calum MacLeod (25 off 12 balls) in the latter part of the innings.
Rameez Shahzad (34 from 28 balls) led the way for UAE in the chase as they tried to recover from the loss of two early wickets but when he holed out off Watt, the innings soon unravelled.
Four wickets in eight balls saw UAE slip from 81-3 to 84-7 and when Sharif had Zahoor Khan caught and bowled in the 19th over, they were 108 all out and Scotland were able to celebrate and start planning for the tournament in Australia next autumn.
Oman claimed the sixth and final qualification spot after a superb comeback against Hong Kong led to a 12-run win.
Zeeshan Maqsood's side tumbled to 42-6 after nine overs as Nos 2 to 7 in the batting order failed to pass four but opener Jatinder Singh struck 67 not out from 50 balls as Oman posted 134-7.
Singh put on 42 with Aamir Kaleem (17) and then 50 with the swashbuckling Naseem Khushi (26no off 9), who slammed two sixes and two fours in his entertaining cameo from the No 9 berth.
Hong Kong, too, suffered a dreadful start to their innings, collapsing to 18-5 as Bilal Khan (4-23) ran riot, only for Scott McKechnie (44 off 46) to give the side hope.
McKechnie, though, fell lbw in the 17th over and Hong Kong fell short on 122-9.
Teams competing in T20 World Cup: England, Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Namibia, Oman
