Scotland got their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier campaign off to a winning start on Thursday by defeating Germany at Goldenacre.
Oli Hairs was the star of the show with the bat, making 73 on his return to international cricket, whilst he was well supported by his teammates as the home side posted their second highest T20 score of all time of 234-5.
In between a rain delay, Germany scored 65-7 from 11 overs meaning the Scots won by 72 runs via DLS.
After the game, Player of the Match Hairs said: “It was a pleasing performance from the team.
“We were keen to get off to a strong start in the competition and we know that no opponent can be taken lightly as all the teams here have some quality in their ranks.
“So, we gave Germany the respect they deserved and as a team it was good to score such a good total with the bat up first and then back it up with the ball through the rain delay.
“And personally it was pleasing to get some runs under my belt in the first game. Now we will rest up and be ready to go again on Friday.”
Germany won the toss and elected to bowl with the two left handers, George Munsey and Hairs, opening the batting for the hosts.
Four runs came from the first over of the match and then, off the fifth ball of the second over, Hairs hit his first boundary of the game off Zahid Zadran, following it up by giving the very next ball the same treatment.
Munsey hit his first boundary of the day in over three with a reverse sweep off Rasul Ahmadi and Scotland had started well.
The first maximum of the game came off the penultimate ball of the fifth when Munsey smashed a six off Dieter Klein.
Over number six bowled by Sahir Naqash was a fruitful one for the Scots, 17 runs being plundered from it to take the score up to 65-0.
In the seventh over Munsey hit Ahmadi for a four, but a few balls later he was out attempting a ramp shot as he was caught behind by the wicketkeeper Michael Richardson.
Munsey had made 29 off 20 balls and the score was 74-1 at that stage.
Muslim Yar Ashraf saw 15 taken off the next over, Hairs hitting two big sixes, the second of which brought up his first international half century in style.
Hairs was well and truly in the mood now and two further sixes off Ahmadi progressed him on to 65 not out off 29 balls.
Scotland had gone over the 100 mark in the ninth over and at the halfway stage after 10 overs they were on 109-1 and well placed to push on to a big score.
In the end, 125 runs would come from the next 10 overs.
Germany started the second half of the innings with a mixed bag as, in amongst a number of wides, Dylan Blignaut managed to get Cross to sky one and he was out for 10.
In over 12, Hairs, after hitting a four, was bowled by Naqash for an excellent 73. He had hit eight fours and five sixes in the innings and faced just 36 balls and his team were 126-3.
Naqash was again in the game in the 14th over, bowling Brandon McMullen for eight, before Michael Leask joined skipper Richie Berrington at the crease.
They then went on to put on an 87 run fifth wicket partnership between that point and the second last ball of the match.
Highlights included a six from Berrington in the 18th over off Blignaut to bring up his own 50 and the team’s 200 and then Leask hitting a six, a four and another six in consecutive Zadran balls in the 19th over.
In the last over Dieter Klein did get Berrington caught behind off, but not before he had made 60 off 31 balls for his eighth T20 international 50.
Leask’s 38 not out came from only 14 balls and included three fours and three sixes and the total of 234-5 was greatly appreciated by the home crowd.
Naqash led the way with 2-44 for Germany with the ball.
Captain Venkatraman Ganesan and Joshua van Heerden opened the batting in Germany’s reply with Mark Watt and Brad Currie, on debut, opening the bowling.
Ganesan hit a couple of fours before he was the first man out for 13 in the fifth over, first change bowler Safyaan Sharif having him caught by Chris Greaves.
That left Germany and by then the rain was lightly falling, but by Scotland getting through that over it meant a result was guaranteed.
Gavin Main came on to bowl the sixth over and three balls into that, with the rain getting much heavier, play was halted with Germany on 33-1.
After a delay the players were able to get back out there at 6.50pm, with Germany’s revised total being 138 in 11 overs, leaving them requiring a further 105 runs from 5.3 overs.
In the seventh over Watt rejoined the attack and took two wickets in two balls, fhaving Richardson caught by Munsey and Faisal Mubashir caught by Currie.
Michael Leask then bowled van Heerden in the next over for 17.
Naqash had scored 10 before he was caught by Watt after skying one off the bowling of Main to leave Germany 55-5. A few balls later he had Sachin Mandy caught behind by Cross and, in the last over, Sharif took a scalp to put the icing on the cake.
Main led the way with 2-8 with Watt taking 2-12.
Earlier on Thursday as the event got underway, Ireland were pushed by Italy at Goldenacre before triumphing as 158-8 played 151-9.
And at Grange CC, Jersey beat Austria at as 104-9 played 106-2.
Scotland are back in action again on Friday afternoon at 3.30pm at Grange CC when they take on Jersey.
Elsewhere on Friday, Denmark play Ireland at the same ground at 10.30am while at Goldenacre Germany and Austria meet at 10.30am.
