Player of the match Adrian Neill and Hamza Tahir teamed up in the final over of the match to help Scotland’s men secure the most dramatic of wins in their ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 clashes in Dubai versus Oman on Sunday.
The Scots, who had defeated Papua New Guinea by 162 runs on Saturday to start their tour with a bang, looked down and out in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
At that point, Oman needed just seven runs from the last nine balls of the match with three wickets in hand.
However, spinner Mark Watt took a wicket – and there was a run out – in the second half of the penultimate over and six runs were still needed from the final over bowled by Neill who had replaced Gavin Main in the starting XI.
A leg bye came off the third ball, but the seam bowler held his nerve and had Oman’s dangerman Ayaan Khan (68) snaffled thanks to a great catch by Tahir off the next ball as Scotland won by four runs.
Afterwards Tahir said: “This is one of the best moments I have had in a Scotland shirt and one of the best wins.
“We are delighted with this result, the guys just dug in really hard.
“In the first half we thought that our total was maybe 20 or 30 runs short, but George [Munsey] battled for a half century and got us up to 215.
“The effort with the ball and in the field in the second half was incredible. The fielders really backed the bowlers up and to come through with the win is such an amazing feeling.”
Earlier, Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer won the toss he decided to bat first.
Coetzer and Matthew Cross put on 40 for the first wicket before the former was out for 23. Cross and MacLeod then put on 42 for the second wicket, but when the latter went closely followed by the former it left them 88-3.
Richie Berrington and George Munsey, who had teamed up for an unbeaten 167 runs on Saturday, then took the score onto 139 before the former was out for 27.
In the last 16 and a half overs of the inning Scotland scored 76 runs with Munsey the top scorer with 62off 74 balls.
Safyaan Sharif also chipped in with an important 19 before they were all out for 215 off 49.4 overs.
Fayyaz Butt took 3-48 for Oman.
Scotland got the breakthrough in the second half at the end of the eighth over when spinner Tahir had Kashyap Prajapati caught by MacLeod for 13.
The Scots then put the squeeze om and Shoaib Khan was next to go at the end of the 14th over, bowled by Tahir, as Oman were 45-2.
Sharif then got in on the act some 10 overs later to get the big, big wicket of opener Jatinder Singh for 53, wicketkeeper Cross catching him behind for 53 off 71 balls.
Spinner Michael Leask then took a scalp before Oman skipper Zeeshan Maqsood and Ayaan Khan took up the fight.
They took their side up to 157 in the 40th over before some quality fielding by the ever-sharp Berrington ran out the captain for 46.
It all meant that, with 60 balls remaining, Oman were on 160-5 and needed 56 runs to win.
You would still have backed the batting team at that stage, especially with Ayaan Khan well set on 34, but this Scottish side are made of stern stuff.
In the 45th over Neill had Sandeep Goud caught behind by Cross and in the 47th over he took another scalp helped out by a catch by Sharif.
With three overs to go, Oman were on 201-7 and required 15 runs to win.
Seven runs came off Sharif in the 48th over and, by midway through the 49th over Oman needed seven runs off nine balls, as mentioned, to get over the line.
That was before the late drama which had all Scotland supporters back home jumping up and down in their living rooms!
Neill was named player of the match for his 3-32 and his calmness in the final over while Tahir impressed with 2-27 off his 10 overs.
Scotland will now play PNG again on 13th April and Oman on 15th April.
Team that played Oman: Kyle Coetzer (C), Matthew Cross, Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington, George Munsey, Dylan Budge, Michael Leask, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Adrian Neill, Hamza Tahir.
