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U19 World Cup Qualifiers: Scotland v Canada at Inch (North County CC), 28th July

The overnight rain took a long time to clear, and there was no wind to help the drying of the Inch pitch and surrounds on Thursday morning.  Umpires Ian Gould and Geertie van Wildebeeste (or something like that – my milkman calls me Mr Daventry – it'll do) decided on a 35 over game starting at 1430 with lunch taken (super cheesecake).  Canada won the toss and batted.

Shah and Kumar put on 56 for the first wicket before Shah was lbw to left-arm seamer Bailal for 11 in the 9th over.  Ramasany was well caught by Ross for 5 off the same bowler 6 runs later.  In came the beefy Edghill and settled down to a second fiddle role with the increasingly fluent Kumar, who brought up his fifty with a straight six.

Edghill straight drove a six through Smith's hands at long on, but immediately holed out for 36, off Smith, to Ross, in the 29th over.  The batting power play was taken after 30 overs at 149-3, and yielded 32 runs in the three overs.  Pathan took 19 off the penultimate over, then gave enough strike to Kumar to complete his ton.

Pathan finished on 44*, Kumar on 100* out of 212/3.  Best bowling for Scotland came from Smith, with 1/20 off 7 overs.  The Scots lost two wickets to the two metre tall Sidhu, lbw and bowled, then recovered through Cross (21) and Coleman (36).  They were well ahead of the rate at 83-4 in the 13th over, but needed a partnership.

Ross and Bailal provided it, with brilliant running between the wickets, unfailing punishment of the bad balls, and increasingly ragged fielding.  The pair put on 96, and needed just over a run a ball when they took the batting power play at 175-4 after 30 overs.  Then disaster struck.

Ross ran himself out for 43, then Edwards and McElnea holed out slogging.  As long as Bailal was there Scotland were in the hunt, but when he was caught for an excellent 63, the odds were heavily in Canada's favour.  Scotland finished six runs short with two balls to go.  Sidhu took 4/39 and Jovarajan 2/29, each in seven overs.

It was a super game of cricket with enough talent on show to promise top six finishes for both teams.  With Ireland beating the USA by one wicket in the last over and Nepal beating Afghanistan, the tournament looks wide open.  I'm really looking forward to watching Ireland play the Afghans on Friday.