Agency :
In the 32nd match of the T20 World Cup 2021, New Zealand edged past Scotland by 16 runs at Dubai International Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
Batting first, New Zealand set a target of 173 runs in front of Scotland . Scotland’s team could only manage 156 runs in the allotted 20 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. This is New Zealand’s second win in this tournament. In Super-12 Group 2, New Zealand’s team is at number three after
Pakistan and Afghanistan. New Zealand now have to play matches against Afghanistan and Namibia. They have to win both the matches to reach the semi-finals.
Chasing the target, Scottish openers Kyle Coetzer and George Munsey added 21 runs for the first wicket. This partnership was broken by fast bowler Trent Boult. After this, Matthew Cross, who landed at number three, raised the concern of captain Kane Williamson by hitting five consecutive fours off Adam Milne’s balls in the sixth over. Munsey and Cross added 45 runs for the second wicket. The pair was broken by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi by dismissing George Munsey (22). After this the New Zealand bowlers gradually started dominating the match. Cross 27 while Richie Berrington was dismissed after scoring 20 runs. Kiwi bowler Trent Boult took 2 for 29 while Ish Sodhi took 2 for 42. Tim Southee got a wicket.
Earlier, New Zealand posted a challenging score of 172 for five against Scotland with their century partnership for the fourth wicket with star batsmen Martin Guptill and Glenn Phillips after the initial setbacks. New Zealand were reduced to two wickets for 35 runs but the team recovered with Guptill and Phillips coming back with a 73-ball 105 for their fourth wicket. The team scored 52 runs in the last five overs losing both of these wickets. Battling the humidity and heat, Guptill missed his century by seven runs as he faced 56 balls and hit six fours and seven sixes in his half-century.
Phillips also played a good part of Guptill, taking full advantage of the life gift he got on the personal score of 22 runs. But in the 19th over, Brad Wheel took the wickets of these two consecutive balls. Veteran cricketer Guptill also completed 3000 runs in T20 International cricket during this period, making him second in this list after Indian captain Virat Kohli (3225 runs). With this, he became the first player to hit 150 sixes in T20 International cricket. India’s Rohit Sharma is at number two with 134 sixes. Scotland, who lost the first two matches, got off to a good start with two wickets in the fifth over.
In the fifth over, Safyan Sharif (2 for 28) dismissed Daryl Mitchell (13) lbw for the first wicket and then three balls later, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was dismissed for a double blow. Williamson could not even open the account. One ball was wide in this over and no run could be scored. Sharif had two wickets for two runs in two overs. Guptill added 16 runs in the last over of the powerplay, hitting a four and a six, taking New Zealand’s score of 52 for two in six overs.
On the same score, the team lost the wicket of Devon Conway (01), who played only three balls. He tried to play a reverse sweep off Mark Watt’s full length ball and was caught by the wicketkeeper. The pressure on the run-rate to fall these early wickets showed and New Zealand’s score was three for 70 in the first 10 overs. Guptill and Phillips persevered. Guptill hit two lofty sixes on Sharif in the 16th over, adding 17 runs in this over.
