T20 World Cup qualifiers warm-up games start as UAE beats Scotland

ABU DHABI - Seven warm-up games prior to the T20 World Cup qualifiers took place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi yesterday, which saw the UAE beat Scotland in one.

Among 14 team competing in the qualifiers, which will start Friday, only six teams will qualify to the World Cup in Australia next year.

UAE, 157/5 (20 overs), beat Scotland, 120/9 (20 overs), by 37 runs, at the Dubai International Stadium. Rameez Shahzad (43 off 28 balls) and Ashfaq Ahmed (38 off 25) top scored in a competitive Emirati total of 157/5 in which Scottish spinner Tom Sole picked up three wickets.

Scotland’s reply got off to a horror start with Sultan Ahmed picking up both Scottish captain Kyle Coetzer and the big-hitting George Munsey in the second over of the chase to leave the visitors 3-2 off 11 balls. Two more wickets fell with the score yet to pass 26 before Richie Berrington (34), Michael Leask (32) and Craig Wallace (26) lent the Scots total a modicum of respectability, but they never really looked in contention as the UAE cruised to a 37-run victory.

Ireland’s have won against the Netherlands at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, scoring 156 for 8 wickets in their 20 overs, then bowling out the Dutch side for 126, for a 30 run victory.

Hong Kong, 132/6 (19.5 overs), have beaten Namibia, 131/8 (20.0 overs), by 4 wickets, at the ICC Academy 1, Dubai.

Canada-Singapore match, two teams tipped as dark horses, ended up in Canada’s win by six wickets; Canada, 165/4 (18 overs), and Singapore 164/5 (20 overs).

In a largely one-sided game by Jersey, the European team won 131/3 (12.2 overs) against Kenya 127/6 (20 overs) by seven wickets at Zayed Cricket Stadium, while Bermuda 171/5 (20 overs) and 118 all out (19.5 overs) have beaten Nigeria by 53 runs at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi.

Arabian Gulf team Oman, 98/6 (17.2 overs), triumphed against Papua New Guinea, 97 all out (17.5 overs), at the ICC Academy 1 in Dubai by four wickets.

Note: This story was written with inputs from Emerging Cricket.com