DAWKINS PRAISES SCOTS FOR ODI CAMPAIGN
Owen Dawkins says Scotland can approach next year's ICC Global Qualifier with confidence after a strong end to their ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign.
The Scots crushed Canada by 170 runs in their final fixture on Thursday to move top of the table, led by a magnificent century from captain Richie Berrington and six wickets on debut from spinner Lyle Robertson. The four-match series against the Canadians and UAE in Dundee reaped seven points from eight, with only a washout in the first UAE fixture preventing a clean sweep.
With many experienced players such as Berrington and Matthew Cross continuing to show good form, allied to a collection of less experienced players pushing for selection, the Head Coach is delighted with the progress made during his first nine months in the job, which began with a last-minute call up to the ICC T20 World Cup and has since taken in three ODI series in Namibia, Nepal and finally at home in Scotland.
"I feel very privileged to have been part of the journey that has led us reaching the ICC Global Qualifier," said Dawkins.
“There were some outstanding individual performances over the last fortnight. Fin McCreath scored his maiden international century, Richie Berrington produced a fantastic hundred in the final match, while Lyle Robertson enjoyed an amazing debut, with the fourth-best bowling figures in ODI cricket history.
“However, it's the team performances that give me the most satisfaction. Two matches in the series went right down to the final few overs, while four of our last six victories have come in the closing stages of games.
“That success is not down to luck, but from the skill levels within the squad, backed up by hard work, commitment and dedication shown by everyone involved. It's also a reflection of the excellent work done by the coaching and support staff, helping the players become clearer in their plans, fitter, more robust and better able to stay the distance and win those tight games.
“We saw an outstanding run-out from Ollie Jones when he came on as twelfth man in the first match against Canada, and dynamic fielding is something that’s important to us as a coaching staff and something we are continuously looking grow and develop throughout the squad. This excellent bit of fielding helped influence the result, and these are the areas of our development that are making the difference when games are finely balanced.
"That is what makes ODI cricket so special - the team aspect of it. The fitness, commitment and teamwork required to play a 50-over game are enormous, but the players relish it. There are ebbs and flows throughout every match, and the sides that are able to keep their nerve, use their cricketing intelligence and work out what is needed in each situation are ultimately the teams that come out on top."
The Scots now await the draw for next year's Global Qualifier, where they will battle with Full Member nations and those around them at the top of the Associate game for four places at the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Reaching the tournament would end Scotland's twelve-year absence from the premier event in world cricket, after two consecutive heartbreaking near misses.
“We are in a good place just now", said Dawkins. “This series has demonstrated the character and quality within this Scotland side. Securing qualification for the Global Qualifier is a significant achievement, and everyone involved can be proud of the progress we've made.
“ODI cricket remains a hugely important format for the global game, and it would be a magnificent achievement if we reached the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It would represent the pinnacle for us as a group. This is a format that we need and world cricket need to continue investing in to help our players develop and to enable our sport to grow, strengthen and thrive.”