Scotland Under 19s ended their World Cup adventure on a high, winning a nail-biting contest with Namibia by three runs.
The Scots had threatened to get across the winning line during the group stage, but were finally able to get their rewards against Namibia, as their total of 251 proved just out of reach.
Bahadar Esakhiel’s 54-ball 76 proved decisive, with his side requiring every one of the 26 he took from the final over of the Scotland innings to earn the victory.
It was a game that ebbed and flowed throughout, and it was Namibia who took first blood, as Adi Hegde and Alec Price both fell cheaply to leave the Scots 9-2.
That brought Owen Gould and Jamie Dunk together, the two batting stars of this World Cup for Scotland, and they set about rebuilding the innings.
They did so superbly, weathering the early pressure from the Namibia attack before moving onto the front foot, growing in confidence as the partnership grew to 80, as the total advanced to 89 in the 22nd over.
However, Gould would perish for 35 as he looked to slog-sweep Peter-Daniel Blignaut over mid-wicket, top edging to Junior Kariata inside the ring.
Uzair Ahmad and Jamie Dunk continued to play positively, and the boundaries flowed regularly, as Dunk went to his third-straight half-century of the competition.
After reaching 76, and recording the most runs scored by a Scotland player at a Men’s U19 World Cup, Dunk would fall to Blignaut, caught at the wicket.
Ahmad would fall soon after for 36, to leave the Saltires 161-5 with 12 overs of the innings remaining.
Rory Grant and Bahadar Esakhiel took the score past 200 before the former departed for just five to Zacheo Vuuren, top edging a slower delivery to Johannes Visigie behind the stumps.
Esakhiel would then move up a gear, as he and Logan Briggs took 51 from the final four overs to help the Saltires post 251-6, and snatch the momentum away from Namibia.
He would move to his half-century from just 48 deliveries, before taking 26 from the final over of the innings, including four sixes, each time stepping across his stumps and dispatching the ball handsomely over the leg-side boundary.
Nambia’s pursuit of 252 began watchfully, with the opening pair adding just 14 in 6.5 overs when Ibrahim Faisal found the outside edge of Johannes de Villiers’ bat, with Alec Price taking a smart catch at slip.
It was a carbon copy in Faisal’s next over, as he and Price combined once again to remove Gerhard Van Rensburg for nine.
Johannes Visigie and Zacheo Vuuren then set about getting their side back into the game, batting patiently as they added 115 in 146 deliveries for the third wicket.
Scotland were in desperate need of a breakthrough when Adi Hegde struck to break the century stand, sliding one onto the pads of Visigie who was trapped on the crease, departing for 69.
Alexander Volschenk threatened to take the game away from Scotland as he struck 32 from just 30 deliveries, but Qasim Khan made a crucial strike as the Namibian skipper holed out to Ibrahim Faisal.
Khan was in on the act again in his following over, a low full toss being struck straight to Bahadar Esakhiel at mid-off by Ben Brassell, as the Eagles slumped to 208-5.
Zacheo Vuuren, who had begun to accelerate after passing 50, and Peter-Daniel Blignaut kept the chase alive, the latter using the reverse-sweep to great effect as he struck three boundaries from Faisal and Nikhil Koteeswaran.
The game appeared to have swing in Namibia’s favour when five wides from Faisal left the chasing side requiring just six from the final three deliveries.
But the Clydesdale man would hold his nerve, striking to remove Vuuren off the penultimate delivery to all-but end their hopes, as the Saltires clung on to win by three runs.
