3rd for Scots in Twenty20 bid.

Corey Fuentes

18 August 2008

Ryan Watson led from the front for Scotland with a half-century Scotland secured 3rd place in the 2009 World Twenty20 qualifiers with an inspiring nine-wicket win over Kenya. Yet there had been relief that Watson's men had rebounded after their displeasing semi-final loss to Holland to provisionally book a spot in a group in next June's competition that also includes SA and New Zealand. BBC Sport's Mark Woods "I'm just happy to be there after 2 difficult games against the Dutch and the Irish" recounted Watson, the person of the match. But we stuck in." After the Saltires were put in to field 1st, they made an early discovery, thanks to Nel, though the previous Worcestershire seamer made no appeal before the call from referee Darrell Hair to give Morris Ouma out lbw.

He put on twenty-five in association with fellow vet Kennedy Odoyo before Berrington took the prize scalp with a straight and true ball, and at the outset of the subsequent over, the recalled Gregor Maiden caused the exit of Odoyo with Smith taking an easy catch. I am just happy to be there after two tricky games against the Dutch and the Irish. Scotland captain Ryan Watson The Kenyans were in difficulty but they put up the barricades, Ragheb Aga deftly holding the Scots in check with a battling knock of twenty-eight off twenty-five balls. Though John Blain was rewarded for his untiring endeavour with a wicket from his last over, a perfect yorker sneaking past youthful left-hander Rakep Patel, Tikolo's troops pushed towards the century mark. However, their progress was slowed when Nel elicited a punt to Watson at midwicket by James Kamande and he announced a 3rd wicket moments after when Aga tried to blast a full ball over long-off but found Nav Poonia lurking. 3 figures ultimately came up in the last over, though there had been time for late confusion which saw Peter Ongondo suppressed on 8 after he and Tony Suji were marooned at the same end. Both men were helped by loose fielding from the Kenyans that left plenty holes to exploit as the Scots reached fifty for no loss at the end of the tenth over. Poonia added a single but suitably, Coetzer turned a full delivery thru mid-wicket to seal the victory, the ball agonisingly halting just short of the ropes to reject what would've been a merited fifty for the Durham player.