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Player of the Match
Player of the Match

McCreath and Cross lead Scotland to winning start in tri-series

Matthew Cross plays on the off side ICC via Getty Images

Scotland 160 for 8 (McCreath 40, Cross 33, Munsey 30, Dutt 3-19, Lion-Cachet 2-26) beat Netherlands 121 (Levitt 36, Sharif 2-13, Jarvis 2-14, Watt 2-28) by 39 runs

A 57-run sixth-wicket stand between debutant Finlay McCreath and Matthew Cross steered Scotland out of trouble and set them up for a winning start in the T20 tri-series. Aryan Dutt and Zach Lion-Cachet put Netherlands in a strong position early on, helping reduce the hosts to 76 for 5, but Scotland eventually recovered to win by 39 runs.

Sent in to bat, Scotland made a mixed start, with George Munsey powering his way to a 17-ball 30 amid a steady drip of wickets, with offspinners Dutt and Lion-Cachet striking twice each in the first 11 overs. McCreath (40 off 28 balls) and Cross (33 off 24), however, ensured they would get to a competitive total, though not a daunting one as Netherlands hit back by taking 3 for 27 off the last 20 balls of the innings.

Netherlands didn't carry that momentum into their chase of 161, though. While runs came at one end for a while, courtesy Michael Levitt's 30-ball 36, there was no stopping the fall of wickets at the other. At 93 for 9 in the 15th over, Netherlands were in danger of falling short of 100, but a tenth-wicket partnership of 28 between Dutt and Paul van Meekeren (20* off 11) ensured that didn't happen. It was the highest partnership of the innings, and, at 21 balls, the second-longest.

For Scotland, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt and Jack Jarvis took two wickets apiece, while Michael Leask conceded just 19 in his four overs while taking the wicket of Levitt.

Netherlands 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st16MP O'DowdM Levitt
2nd7M LevittZB Lion-Cachet
3rd13M LevittSA Edwards
4th21M LevittAT Nidamanuru
5th15AT NidamanuruNRJ Croes
6th6Saqib ZulfiqarAT Nidamanuru
7th3RE van der MerweSaqib Zulfiqar
8th7Saqib ZulfiqarK Klein
9th5K KleinA Dutt
10th28PA van MeekerenA Dutt