Scotland get it together in record-breaking performance

Mike Stanger reports on the pleasing way in which Scotland's T20 squad got their act together against Uganda in the Tri-Series in Nairobi - clearly warming to the tough task ahead of them in the World T20 Qualifier in the UAE next week.

It was always going to take a bit of patience to allow Scotland's Twenty20 squad to emerge from their winter torpor and demonstrate what they can do when they get some warm-weather action under their belts. In the second match against Uganda, they finally cast aside the cold and embraced the warmth with some record-breaking performances.

Gavin Hamilton lost the toss, but might well have batted first anyway. Kyle Coetzer and Ryan Watson opened, and Watson was quickly into his stride, hammering four boundaries before driving somewhat lazily and getting an edge to the keeper for 17.

Watts strode in and immediately took over the big-hitting role, allowing Coetzer to bide his time at the other end. Watts often flies the white flag after hitting a few boundaries: not today. Today he led the way, against seam and spin.

By the halfway mark, the Scots were cruising at over six runs an over, and Coetzer was beginning to break out into full flight. The hundred came up off the 80th ball of the innings. Watts passed the previous highest Scottish individual T20 innings and reached his 50 in the 14th over with his second six.

Two overs later, Coetzer also reached his 50 with a six and a two, then added his third maximum. And the following over, the Scots, now in overdrive, passed the previous highest Scotland T20 total of 141 (in a warm-up match against Bangladesh last year).

In the same 17th over, Watts added a couple more boundaries and was then caught off the last ball at backward square leg, having set the new individual T20 record for Scotland players of 73, including 8x4s and 3x6s.

Three balls later, Coetzer also went, brilliantly caught by Otim running in from deep mid-wicket and diving forward to get both hands under the ball. Coetzer's 64 included 3x4s and 3x6s.

With just 10 balls remaining, Neil McCallum came and went, caught on the long-on boundary. Gavin Hamilton and Richie Berrington saw out the remainder, and Scotland finished on 163-4.

It was clear that Uganda would have to work very hard to match that, but they quickly lost wickets to Dewald Nel and Gordon Drummond - the second a brilliant catch by McCallum at short extra diving forward full length to secure it.

Another fantastic catch, this time by Hamilton over his left shoulder from a ball driven hard to mid-off, gave Drummond his second wicket in the same fourth over of the innings to leave Uganda reeling on 10-3.

Then came a cricketing oddity, when Drummond bowled to Baig, Uganda's top scorer. He hit it down the throat of Ross Lyons, who caught it, but it was a front-foot no-ball. From the free hit that followed, Otim, the other batsman, was officially adjudged lbw, the ball clipping his pad as he advanced out of his ground, allowing Simon Smith to whip off the bails and claim a stumping/run out in vain! The umpiring experts among you will ponder whether that is the correct scorebook entry.

Hamilton used seven bowlers in all: Haq (2-15) and Nel (2-12) were the only ones who completed their four-over allowance. Drummond took 2-14 off three overs, and Watson and Lyons each picked up a wicket in the closing overs as Uganda subsided to 107-9 by the end of their innings.

A superb all-round victory for Scotland, but outside observers will be looking to tomorrow's final game against Kenya for more convincing evidence of Scotland's emergence into genuine form, against a much tougher opponent.

[Scorecard]

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