SCOTLAND are only halfway through their time in Oman but already the trip has delivered two significant milestones from just the one match.
“Hang on a second, I’ve just been sent the details on my phone,” said captain Kyle Coetzer disappearing temporarily off the line. “First T20I win over Ireland for 1336 days. So that’s pretty good.”
With Ireland now a full member which wasn’t the case when Scotland defeated them in Magheramason in June 2015, Friday’s six-wicket victory also represented the first T20 win against a Test-playing nation since Bangladesh were beaten in 2012.
The breakthrough arrived in Scotland’s second game of a quadrangular series also involving the Netherlands and the hosts. If the objective for the tour was to continue to make incremental improvements and build on last year’s successes, then this was further evidence that they are on the right track. Victory over Oman today, combined with an Irish win over the Dutch, could see Scotland finish top of the table.
“It was good to get that win over Ireland and do it in fairly convincing fashion in the end,” said Coetzer. “T20 is one of those games where you just need certain factors to go your way and they fell for us on this occasion. But the boys have been working hard and have been professional in their preparation. We are continuing to progress as a team which is the most important thing.”
A strong opening partnership of 109 between Coetzer - who eventually made 74 off 38 balls - and George Munsey helped Scotland make swift inroads into Ireland’s total of 180. In the end, it was a six from Calum MacLeod that sealed the win, although there was praise for the bowlers too for their contribution on a batter-friendly pitch.
“It’s always nice to get a few runs under your belt,” added the captain. “I’ve been struggling of late so I enjoyed getting a few balls off the middle of the bat. I had a bit of luck as well with being dropped a couple of times and sometimes you need that.
“George has been striking the ball as well as I’ve seen anyone hit the ball, to be honest. He’s turned into a pretty fine player. If he continues in this form he’s going to be one of the most dangerous openers in T20 cricket.
“But we bowled really well, too. A few things didn’t go our way in the first 10 overs of Ireland’s innings but from them on in we played brilliantly and that’s where we won the game. Mark Watt (3-25) bowled brilliantly, while Richie Berrington put in an unbelievable shift into the breeze and with a short boundary. They changed the course of the game.”
The win over Ireland eased the disappointment of a final-ball defeat to the Netherlands in the opening game of the series.
“We had a chat after that game,” Coetzer said. “We agreed just to put it behind us quickly and show that what we’re capable of against Ireland. And we did that.
“We actually played OK against Holland. If we had made another 15 or 20 runs it might have been a different story. But we were off the pace and made wrong decisions at crucial moments. That’s always going to happen when you haven’t played cricket together for six months. But the most important thing was how we bounced back.”
Next up for Scotland is four games against Oman, one in the T20I format and then a three-game 50-over series. With home ODI fixtures against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka to follow in May, Coetzer underlined the importance of making the most of the opportunities.
“It’s been a really productive trip so far,” he added. “We knew we had to hit the ground running when we got here. If we could have had another two or three days to settle in and maybe have a practice game or two that would have been ideal preparation. But I guess the funds only stretch so far.
“But it’s been good and the new players have fitted in well. We’ve got Oman next and the chance to maybe top the table, and then the three 50-over games. It’s just about continuing to build that momentum.”
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