Scotland defeated Papua New Guinea by 17 runs in their Group B Round 1 match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Tuesday. Scotland initially won the toss and elected to bat. Richie Berrington's brilliant 70-run knock off 49 balls helped them post 165 for nine in 20 overs. Matthew Cross was also in decent form, registering 45 in 36 deliveries. Meanwhile, Kabua Morea was in good bowling form for Papua New Guinea and took four wickets in four overs. Chasing a target of 166, Papua New Guinea were bowled out for 148 in 19.3 overs with Josh Davey taking four wickets in 3.3 overs for Scotland. Norman Vanua played a noteworthy knock for Papua New Guinea, slamming 47 off 37 balls. With this win, Scotland are now second in Group B with four points from two matches. Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea are bottom with zero points from two games.
SCO vs PNG Live Updates
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We are back for the chase! The umpires are out in the middle and so are the Scotland players. Lega Siaka and Tony Ura are the openers for Papua New Guinea. Brad Wheal has been handed the new ball. Let's play...
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... RUN CHASE ...
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Right then! 166 needed for Papua New Guinea to keep their qualification hopes alive. Someone needs to bat their skin out to fancy a chance against the mighty Scottish side. What will happen? We shall find out soon as the second half is just around the corner.
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Matthew Cross is up for a chat, he says that they were thinking about 160 and they have got that. Mentions that the wicket is a little bit two-paced. Tells that they expect to put PNG under pressure and they have got a lot of options in bowling. Adds that it's a good surface and it is going to be a tough chase for PNG.
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A do-or-die match for PNG and they will be very happy going into the break. They started off brilliantly as Kabua Morea and Chad Soper sent back the openers. Wickets dried up in the middle phase and in PNG's point of view, so did the runs. As Scotland tried to up the ante, Simon Atai came into the attack and took the big wicket of Cross. Soper took the big wicket of Berrington as well and they will be quite happy with how they played at the fag end of the innings. Chad Soper and Kabua Morea were the pick of the bowlers as they scalped three and four wickets respectively.
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Not the best of starts for Scotland but they will be very happy with how things have turned after both the openers fell. Both openers fell in quick succession. 26 for 2 at one stage and Scotland needed a partnership badly. Matthew Cross and Richie Berrington joined hands to rebuild the structure. They started slowly but once they got used to the pitch. they pushed the accelerator. They stitched a 92-run partnership before Cross gave away his wicket but Berrington continued his quarrelsome batting and brought up his fifty. He too fell after hitting a few lusty blows and that also folded Scotland's innings as the lower order failed miserably to make any impact.
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6 wickets in the last 2 overs while giving away just 15 runs. This has been a brilliant comeback from Papua New Guinea after losing their way in the middle phase. They will be quite happy with how his troops have rallied and now they will fancy their chances to chase it down. Also, a good momentum going into the break.
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19.6Wto Mark Watt
OUT! Cleaned up! Brilliant stuff from Kabua Morea as he gets his fourth wicket and Papua New Guinea complete a team hat-trick. Pacy delivery, full and on off stump. Mark Watt looks to play the reverse sweep but the ball sneaks in under his bat. The ball crashes into the off stump and Watt also departs for a golden duck. Four wickets fall in the final over as Scotland end with 165/9!
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Alasdair Evans walks out.
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19.5Wto Josh Davey
OUT! CAUGHT! Another bites the dust! In the slot and Josh Davey gives it his all as he clubs it right back over the bowler's head. For a moment it looked to be sailing over the long on fence but Lega Siaka, stationed over there remains unfazed. He takes the catch with ease and Josh Davey has to depart for a golden duck.
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Josh Davey is the new batter in.
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19.4Wto Michael Leask
OUT! RUN OUT! Slight hesitation and Michael Leask pays the price for it. Length again and outside off, Leask walks across his stumps and pulls it towards deep square leg. Assad Vala gets to it quickly and Leask pushes for the second. Kiplin Doriga, behind the stumps whips off the bails in a flash and the replay shows that Leask was not even in the frame. Leask has to depart.
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A run out appeal has been sent upstairs. The third umpire sees the replay and Michael Leask is caught well short of the crease. The third umpire confirms it by displaying OUT on the big screen.
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19.36to Michael Leask
SIX! WOW! That is some shot from Michael Leask. A length ball, outside off and angled across. Leask shuffles across and flat-bats it over the square leg fence for a biggie.
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The new man in is Mark Watt.
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19.2Wto Chris Greaves
OUT! CAUGHT! A slower one, full and well outside off. Chris Greaves makes the mistake of fetching it from that wide and trying to go across. Greaves ends up skying it high and towards wide long on. Lega Siaka settles under it and finally pouches it after some juggling. Kabua Morea gets his second wicket.
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19.11to Michael Leask
Well bowled. A wide yorker, Leask slices it to third man for a single.
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19.12 nbto Chris Greaves
No Ball! Pace-off and down the leg side. Chris Greaves looks to paddle it fine but the ball tickles the pads on its way to the keeper. They scamper through for a leg bye and a no ball is called for overstepping. Free Hit to follow.
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Kabua Morea to bowl the final over.
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18.61to Chris Greaves
Soper finishes with another short one. Greaves pulls it nicely to deep square leg for a single. Just 5 runs and 2 wickets off the over.