SCOTLAND HAMMER UAE BEHIND RECORD-BREAKING MCMULLEN

Scotland bounced back in style with a thumping eight-wicket victory over the UAE, as Brandon McMullen became the fastest Scottish man to hit 1000 ODI runs.

 

McMullen, alongside Brad Currie, had earlier starred with the ball as Scotland bowled out the UAE for just 161, the new ball duo taking three wickets apiece.

 

In reply, George Munsey set the tone at the top of the order with his third half-century of the tour, before McMullen (50*) and Richie Berrington (35*) saw their side across the line inside 25 overs.

 

Brandon McMullen, who was named Player of the Match, said: "It's been a bit frustrating the last couple of games, I've been feeling really good with the bat, but luckily today I could pull the stumps out, as we speak about as a batting group, making sure one guy in the top four bats through.

 

"It's a massive honour and privilege to hold that record, but hopefully it gets broken in the future!

 

"Now it's about knuckling down, doing what we do best and focusing on ourselves going into the game in Friday, it's obviously a massive game but we'll just stick to our processes."

 

With Scotland bowling first for the fourth-straight game in this series, Currie made the breakthrough in the seventh over, Matthew Cross taking a terrific catch at the wicket, as the ball reared off a length and found the outside edge of Tanish Suri’s bat.

 

McMullen removed Aryansh Sharma (11), caught behind off an inside edge as he wafted at a wide one, and when he struck to dismiss Rahul Chopra (1), the UAE had slid to 37-3 inside the opening powerplay.

 

 

Asif Khan and Alishan Sharafu were left with a rebuilding job, and added 23 for the fourth wicket in eight overs, before Jack Jarvis removed Khan (17), caught by Finlay McCreath.

 

The UAE suffered a further blow as Sharafu fell in the following over for 11, stumped off the bowling of Mark Watt thanks to more excellent work from Cross.

 

Scotland continued to turn the screws, as the UAE struggled to score above three an over – and the pressure told as first McMullen and then Safyaan Sharif created run-outs in the space of two overs.

 

 

Muhammad Waseem, who was involved both run outs, then had to shoulder the responsibility for the remainder of the innings, dominating a 60 run partnership with Simranjeet Singh.

 

Waseem cleared the ropes twice in the same McMullen over, and went to his half-century from 69 deliveries; but McMullen would exact his revenge, bowling the destructive batter for 61.

 

The innings was soon be wrapped-up by the returning Currie, taking a steepling return catch to remove Singh (14), before Muhammad Jawadullah holed out to McCreath, as the UAE were bowled out for 161.

 

Charlie Tear and Munsey got Scotland’s pursuit off to a flyer, the former finding the first boundary from just the second ball of the innings, adding 40 for the opening wicket.

 

 

Tear was the first to go, falling to Singh for 19, caught on the long-off boundary by Khan as he looked to take the off-spinner over the top.

 

Munsey was finding the boundary with regularity, and cleared the ropes against Jawadullah and Singh as he reached the half-century mark, from just 42 deliveries, for the third time on this tour.

 

Munsey fell shortly after taking his side past 100, for an excellent 56, spooning a simple chance to Sharma off the bowling of Jawadullah.

 

McMullen became the fastest Scottish man to 1000 ODI runs – reaching the mark in 27 innings, one faster than Kyle Coetzer – getting there with a sublime pull for four in front of square.

 

 

McMullen got to his 50 from 51 deliveries, and saw his side across the line alongside Berrington, unbeaten on 35, as they reached their target from the first ball of the 25th over.

 

Scotland round out their tour on Friday when they take on the Netherlands in Utrecht from 1000 UK.