[www.inewsguyana.com] – Scotland nearly upset West Indies in their chase of 314 in the warm-up match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but fell short by three runs, despite needing 14 runs from the last two overs with four wickets in hand.
Opener Kyle Coetzer led Scotland’s chase with 96 runs, followed by Richie Berrington’s 44-ball66. Once Berrington was run out in the 49th over, Scotland lost two more wickets in the next six balls, as Kemar Roach defended 12 runs off the last over.
Scotland carried their form after thrashing Ireland by 179 runs in their first warm-up and West Indies were coming after a nine-wicket loss to England three days ago.
Scotland were given a strong opening stand of 75 in 14.4 overs by Coetzer and Callum MacLeod before Sulieman Benn’s double-strike put them on a shaky 124 for 3 in the 26th over.
Freddie Coleman then combined with Coetzer with a reviving fourth-wicket stand of 60 runs in under nine overs. However, Coetzer fell for 96 off 104, which featured 14 fours, when he was caught off the other left-arm spinner, Nikita Miller.
Coming at No. 6, Berrington’s quick-fire fifty made sure Scotland was back on top. Berrington and wicketkeeper Matthew Cross powered the innings with 86 runs in only 8.5 overs, bringing the equation down to 14 runs from 12 balls.
The momentum then shifted back in West Indies’ favour when Berrington was run out on the third ball of the penultimate over by Andre Russell, who also had Rob Taylor caught three balls later, conceding only two from the over.
Roach’s work was made easier for the last over and even though he leaked eight runs, it wasn’t enough for Scotland.
Earlier, West Indies opted to bat and started with a stutter when Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels were dismissed for 1 and 0 respectively. Dwayne Smith and Darren Bravo chipped in with forties; Smith’s being the quicker one.
The innings got a real push when Denesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons stitched a partnership of 117 runs for the fifth wicket at nearly eight-an-over, charging them to 251 in the 45th over, when Simmons and Ramdin fell within three deliveries to Alasdair Evans. Simmons’ 47-ball 55 included five fours and two sixes while Ramdin’s muscled six fours and a six in his 88 off 86.
The innings got another surge with late strikes from Russell and Darren Sammy, who clobbered 53 runs together in 26 balls to take the score past 300. Sammy was more punishing out of the two with his 17-ball 36, hitting five boundaries as the team ended on 313 for 9 after two run outs. (Cricinfo)
