SCOTLAND SUFFER WORLD CUP DEFEAT TO PAKISTAN
Scotland opened their ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup campaign in Harare with a six-wicket defeat to Pakistan.
Following Thursday's washout against Zimbabwe, Scotland finally got underway at the second time of asking, and posted 187 after being inserted by Pakistan - who reached their target inside 44 overs.
Five Scotland batters passed 20, but all failed to kick on, as skipper Thomas Knight top scored with 37 - whilst Ali Raza was the star with the ball for Pakistan, striking twice in the first over of the match on his way to 4-37.
In reply, spin duo Ollie Jones and Manu Saraswat took two wickets apiece, but it was a 111-run partnership for the third wicket between Usman Khan (75) and Ahmed Hussain (47) that broke the back of the chase.
Scotland captain Thomas Knight said: "Coming out on the wrong side of it is never ideal, but the fight we showed with the ball to take it as deep as we did was certainly a positive, and shows a lot of what we're about as a group.
"It was tough out there with the bat, they were certainly at the quicker end of bowlers that any of us have faced, but I think that the way a lot of us stood up and fought really hard is a good reflection on ourselves.
"We've had a few good starts, and for someone to just kick on and make a 70 or 80 makes all the difference, and suddenly that's 220 or 230 that we're defending, but I couldn't really be much happier with the second half, everyone worked so hard for each other."
The game's opening over, delivered by Raza, had just about everything. Theo Robinson flicked the first ball for four, and the Pakistan quick fired five wides down the leg-side - but he also produced two stunning deliveries to bowl Robinson and Max Chaplin.
Knight was part of important partnerships with both Grant (21) and Ollie Jones (30), adding 47 and 40 respectively - but Scotland lost Jones and Knight in consecutive overs as they slid from 115-4 to 115-6.
The most substantial partnership was that between Finlay Jones (33) and Manu Saraswat (25), as the pair added 58 for the seventh-wicket - Raza making the breakthrough to dismiss Jones, before Abdul Subhan and Mohammad Sayyam wrapped-up the Scotland innings as they were bowled out for 187 in the 49th over.
In reply, Ali Hasan Baloch and Sameer Minhas started serenely for Pakistan as they made 43 with little trouble, but it was the introduction of Ollie Jones that sparked Scotland into life, as he removed both openers in consecutive overs.
That brought Khan and Hussain together at 48-2, and they ensured there would be no wobble for Pakistan, adding 111 in 27 overs - taking few risks against a Scotland attack that were persistent and accurate, despite struggling to breakthrough.
Saraswat dismissed both Khan (75) and Hussain (47) as Pakistan closed in on their target, and it was left to captain Farhan Yousaf to strike the winning runs.
Scotland are next in action against England on Wednesday 21 January, from 0730 GMT.