Scots defeat Uganda in T20 one-over shoot-out

Mike Stanger reports on the extraordinary and first-ever T20 match between Scotland and Uganda, played at the Nairobi Gymkhana ground as part of the tri-series with Kenya.

Well, what a start to the Twenty20 season! A tied match, the points decided by a one-over eliminator between two sets of three nominated batsmen! Thank goodness for the fearless Jan Stander, who bashed consecutive fours to 'win' two points for Scotland in their opening game of the tri-series with Kenya and Uganda, which serves as a warm-up for the World T20 Qualifier in the UAE next week.

With Simon Smith unwell in the hotel, Ryan Watson was the nominated wicket-keeper, while coach Pete Steindl decided to rest frontline bowlers Dewald Nel and Gordon Goudie. So Gavin Hamilton won the toss and decided to bat.

Given that, for most of the top-order batters, this was their first action in the middle since August, it was perhaps not surprising that the Scottish innings was less than thrilling or impressive - reaching 109 for the loss of eight wickets. Most observers would regard this as around two-thirds of what will be required in most Twenty20 matches.

Fraser Watts and Navdeep Poonia opened... a typical Watts innings, two splendid fours followed by a top edge in the third over that eventually fell to mid-on with ice on it. Poonia also scored three good boundaries, while the incoming Kyle Coetzer came and went for 12, also skying the ball, this time to short extra, where it was caught by mid-off.

Jan Stander went straight into action with a four and a six, followed by a three in the same sixth over by Sebanja, and overtook Poonia in the blink of an eye to make the score 44-2, quite encouraging.

When Stander was dropped in the following over, attempting a pull to leg and - again - skying to point, it looked as if the cricketing gods were looking kindly on the South African.

It was Poonia who departed first, stumped after advancing well out of his crease to left-arm spinner Ssenyando in the tenth over, having made 20. Stander followed in the next over on 25, attempting to slog-sweep but missing to give an undoubted lbw. The total was now 68-4.

Richie Berrington joined the skipper in a period of non-pyrotechnic consolidation, but the youngster didn't last much more than an over, also advancing to hit Ssenyondo, but walking past the ball.

Neil McCallum came and went for 3, giving Ssenyondo his third after attempting a late cut in the 14th over, the score now a less-than-encouraging 79-6.

Now it was Watson who joined forces with Hamilton, who launched the second six of the innings to propel the Scotland total into the 90s. But Watson was out for 7 in the next over, his slog-sweep caught on the long-on boundary, the score 96-7.

It was clear that the pitch was taking turn and, with the Ugandans having used three spinners, Gordon Drummond (6*) helped Hamilton to finish the Scotland innings - but not before the latter was out for 17, cutting the ball straight into short third man's hands.

The total did not seem to be much of a challenge, even taking account of the fact that in the first match of the tri-series the previous day, Uganda had been gubbed by Kenya by eight wickets.

The Ugandans opened with wicket-keeper Mukasa, who had done well against Kenya, and Kyobe. The latter was still there when the final ball was bowled, stranded at the non-striker's end on 51*.

In between, the Ugandan innings followed a strange pattern - easily keeping the scoreboard ticking at more than four an over. True, they lost their first wicket in the first over, Drummond's lifting ball edged by Mukasa into Watson's hands. But it wasn't until the ninth over that the second - and third - wickets arrived.

These were bowled by Scotland's left-arm spinner Ross Lyons (pictured), making his T20 debut, in his second over, as Hamilton turned to spin with Majid Haq at the other end. Two consecutive wickets by Lyons were followed by a six from the incoming batsman Nsbuga, who was thankfully removed by Haq before any further serious damage could be done, when he tried to slog again in the next over. It was 55-4 at the halfway point of the Ugandan innings.

Lyons captured a third wicket courtesy of a brilliant catch by Hamilton, running backwards and then taking the ball over the shoulder.

At this point, Hamilton made what could have been a match-losing decision. Mindful of the two key wickets he had taken in the I-Cup match earlier in the week, Coetzer was asked to replace Haq after one over, and was promptly hit for 12 plus a wide! Now it was 72-5 after 12 overs, and Uganda were in the driving seat once more - even more so when they hit Lyons for 10 in his final over, leaving him with otherwise impressive figures of 3-28.

Haq was quickly brought back, and Berrington's more experienced seam confined his first over to just three runs. Haq's last over gave away nine runs, then he bowled the dangerous Muhumuza through the gate for 16, to make it 99-6 with four overs remaining.

Berrington picked up a wicket with the last ball of the 17th, caught by Haq at extra cover, and then Hamilton invited Watson to remove his wicket-keeper's pads and take up his other role as off-spinner... a run out followed from his second ball, to make it 103-8.

Berrington conceded five off his first two balls of the penultimate over, but the fourth ball brought the ninth wicket, trapping Ssenyondo in front.

So it was Watson to bowl the final over, Uganda needing two for outright victory. A single off the third ball tied the scores, two more dot balls - and then Tabby pulled the last ball straight to Berrington at short mid-wicket, who made no mistake, catching it with both hands just an inch off the deck. Uganda all out 109, having lost their last five wickets for just 10 runs.

There followed some confusion as, first, it was thought the Scots had won by virtue of fewer wickets, before Cricinfo's scorer declared it a tie, one point each. The umpires, however, put the one-over eliminator into operation, with three nominated batsmen available on each side.

Haq bowled for Scotland, conceding five, with a run out in the middle. Scotland's batsmen were Coetzer and Stander, with Berrington waiting to scamper if required. Coetzer grabbed a single, there followed a wide, then Stander put it beyond doubt with two consecutive boundary fours. Both points to Scotland!

[Scorecard]