SCOTLAND OPEN T20 SERIES WITH COMFORTABLE WIN OVER DUTCH

Scotland enjoyed a successful first-ever Men's T20 International at Clydesdale CC as they defeated the Netherlands by 39 runs.

 

Batting first at a damp Titwood, the Scots posted 160-8 - an excellent recovery from 76-5 - before bowling the Dutch out for 121, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt and Jack Jarvis each striking twice.

 

Finlay McCreath and Matthew Cross combined for the crucial partnership for the Scots, adding 57 from 25 deliveries - McCreath striking a 28-ball 40 on international debut, alongside Cross' 33.

 

McCreath said: "It sorted suit of my style of play out there, it took me a bit of time to get in, but when Crossy came in it just allowed me to play me game, and luckily it was my day today.

 

"I'm just taking every game as it comes and enjoying every moment, we've got a great set of lads and we've been doing quite well - we'd like to do a little better, so hopefully we can keep going."

 

It was not always comfortably for the Scots though, as Aryan Dutt removed both Watt (5) and Brandon McMullen (11) in the powerplay, combining with Scott Edwards in both occasions as Scotland slid to 23-2.

 

George Munsey raced to 30, twice hoisting Paul Van Meekeren over the leg-side for six, but he then fell to Zach Lion-Cachet – holing out to Saqib Zulfiqar the ball after sweeping the spinner for six.

 

Liam Naylor (7) fell to Roelof Van der Merwe in the following over, and when Michael Leask (7) became Lion-Cachet’s second victim, Scotland were 76-5 after 11 overs.

 

That left McCreath and Cross with a lot of work to do to take their side to a competitive total – but they did just that, adding 57 for the sixth wicket, McCreath inventively flicking and scooping to the boundary with regularity.

 

 

McCreath struck a 28-ball 40 on T20i debut, falling to Kyle Klein as he looked to hit the quick down the ground, caught by Lion-Cachet.

 

Chris McBride added a quickfire 13 alongside Cross (33) to help Scotland reach 160, an excellent fightback as 66 came from the final six overs.

 

In response, Michael Levitt took 15 from McMullen’s opening over, but he lost his partner Max O’Dowd, Jasper Davidson rattling his stumps with this third ball.

 

Sharif trapped Lion-Cachet (5) in front, before creating the dismissal of Edwards, deflecting Levitt’s drive onto the stumps with the Dutch skipper stranded out of his ground.

 

 

Levitt himself then fell, caught by Sharif off the bowling of Leask, for 36 of his side’s 57 to that point.

 

Noah Croes was the next to depart, for just 10, LBW attempting to sweep Watt to leave the Netherlands 72-5 at the halfway stage.

 

Scotland were well on top when Jarvis struck with his first ball, Teja Nidamanuru caught by McCreath running in from the leg-side boundary.

 

The Netherlands fell away quickly, Jarvis dismissing Van der Merwe (1) in the same over, Zulfiqar (4) falling to Watt, and Kyle Klein departing run out in almost-identical fashion to Edwards, this time Leask getting the important touch – the Dutch subsiding from 72-4 to 93-9.

 

Van Meekeren (20*) and Dutt (11) did add 21 for the final wicket to add some respectability to their side's total, but Sharif struck the final blow in the penultimate over, Dutt holing out to Leask.