SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Dubai (October 18, 2021):-Scotland sent shockwaves through the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a six-run win over Bangladesh and captain Kyle Coetzer explained that this is a result that has been a long time in the making.
Scotland sent shockwaves through the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a six-run win over Bangladesh and captain Kyle Coetzer explained that this is a result that has been a long time in the making.
The Scots booked their place at the tournament back in 2019 but have spent much of the Covid-19 pandemic having to readjust their plans as tours and matches have been postponed.
That has left plenty of time for planning and despite some early struggles in Oman, it all came together as Chris Greaves inspired the team to victory that puts Scotland in a strong position in Group B.
And for Coetzer, who was part of the Scotland team that beat Bangladesh back in 2012, it was also important to remember just how many sacrifices the team has had to make simply to get here.
He said: “It's a huge win for us, it’s something we’ve been planning for a long time. It’s been a long two years since the qualifying tournament.
“Until a month ago we had played two games of cricket as a group so there was a lot of planning behind the scenes, a lot of guys working hard and it sometimes seemed you were working for nothing because our tours kept getting cancelled. So that was really hard for us to manage.
“But now we’re reaping the rewards of keeping the faith that this tournament would come around and we would be a better team for it when we arrive out here.
“There have been a lot of sacrifices for many players, associate cricket is very hard and to get the opportunity we do when we get out here, it’s important to take it because otherwise if you get brushed aside people don’t appreciate how hard associate cricket is. We’ve made some good strides and I’m really proud.”
Batting first, Scotland found themselves in trouble as Mahedi Hasan (3/19) and Shakib Al Hasan (2/17) made inroads and reduced their opponents to 53 for six.
However, Greaves hit 45 off 28 deliveries to carry the team to 140 for nine, before taking two wickets as the chase fell short with Coetzer impressed by the belief of his side, who he knows are capable of more.
He added: “It’s a special feeling to beat Bangladesh. It’s not the first time we’ve beaten them but we know the strength in depth in their squad.
“I think they gave us a lesson at the start of the innings with the skill that they put on show. It took a real fighting effort today. I was saying to our guys that we’re never out of the game and always believe. We’ll be looking for a more wholesome performance next time.”
Next up for Scotland is a clash with Papua New Guinea, who were well beaten by Oman in their opening game.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, take on the hosts in desperate need of a win, and for skipper Mahmudullah, it was their batting that faltered in this encounter, with Mushfiqur Rahim’s dismissal for 38 proving the crucial moment in the match.
He said: “I think Mushy’s (Mushfiqur) wicket was the turning point because Mushy was looking good today. Probably a set batter has to stay but I think as a batting unit, we are disappointed so it’s a concern. We need to see where we made those mistakes and try not to repeat those mistakes in the next game.
“I think the bowlers were on the right track, we picked up six wickets before they had scored 60 runs but after that, they had a good partnership. I have to give credit to those batters who built the partnership for Scotland, they played better cricket than us. We were just not good enough tonight.
“We’re really disappointed. On that wicket and that ground, I think 140 was very much gettable. As a batting unit, we made a lot more mistakes than the right things. So we need to see the areas where we could have done better and we need to pull our socks up and try to win the next game.”
