Scotland Move Ahead in Cricket World Cup League 2
Scotland have moved two points clear of the USA at the summit of the Cricket World Cup League 2 following a narrow victory in a rain-affected match in Nepal.
Scotland 321-6 (47 overs): McCreath 77; Netravalkar 2-44
USA 246-8 (32 overs): Mukkamalla 104; McMullen 2-40
Result: Scotland win by two runs (DLS method)
In a thrilling contest, Scotland edged out the USA by two runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, securing the top spot in the league after rain interruptions once again influenced the game in Kirtipur.
Batting first in an innings reduced to 47 overs, Scotland posted a formidable total of 321 for 6. Opener Finlay McCreath led the charge with a top score of 77 runs.
Contributions also came from Brandon McMullen, who scored a brisk 55, and Matthew Cross, who added 58 runs, both accelerating the innings effectively. Mark Watt and Michael Leask provided valuable late-order runs, helping Scotland surpass their previous total of 243-8 achieved in Tuesday's narrow win over Nepal.
In response, USA's Brad Currie made an early breakthrough by dismissing Shayan Jahangir. However, Smit Patel played a fluent innings, scoring 72 as the USA passed 100 runs inside 16 overs.
Before rain interrupted the match, the USA had reached 160 for 4 after 26.4 overs. The revised target was set at 248 runs from 32 overs, presenting a challenging chase.
Number four batsman Saiteja Mukkamalla, who was on 56 from 59 balls before the rain delay, resumed with an aggressive approach, reaching his century off just 72 deliveries. His innings kept the USA in contention and ensured the match remained tightly contested.
Despite his efforts, Mukkamalla could not secure victory for the USA. With 16 runs required off the final over, he attempted a shot off a wide delivery from Brandon McMullen but was caught brilliantly by Scotland captain Richie Berrington, who dived backwards from extra cover to take the catch.
The USA managed nine runs in that over, leaving six runs needed off the last ball to tie the match. Mohammad Mohsin faced the final delivery but scored only four runs, resulting in a narrow win for Scotland.
This victory allowed Scotland to overtake the USA in the standings, despite having played five more matches.
"It was a pretty important moment, so I'm luck it stuck in my hands," Berrington said of his catch to dismiss Mukkamalla.
"That was a fantastic knock and once again we've gone down to the wire. We made it tougher than we would have liked but really important that we held our nerve.
"It took us a while to get going again after the rain break. I'm just pleased we managed to close it out. We're finding a way to get over the line."
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