INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Michael Leask helped Scotland to a stunning 31-run victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday to set up a winner-takes-all clash with the Netherlands
for a place at the World Cup.Sri Lanka became the first of the top two teams in the Super Six table to have qualified for the
October-November World Cup in India when they beat Zimbabwe on Sunday.The hosts could have clinched the second spot with victory over
Scotland in Bulawayo, but it was not to be after Scottish quick Chris Sole (3-33) ripped through their top order, eventually bowled out for
203 chasing down 234.&Our boys have been fantastic
Credit to the way the lads played today,& said Scotland captain Richie Berrington.&The way we came out and showed faith in the second
innings and get those early wickets was fantastic.&Berrington added: &It&s a quick turnaround to the game against the Netherlands
We&ll take a lot of confidence but it&s going to be a tough game.&&It&s a very difficult pill to swallow,& Berrington&s Zimbabwe counterpart
Craig Ervine acknowledged.&I thought we did well to restrict them to 230
Unfortunately that first initial spell from Sole really put us on the back foot and just made it hard for us to recover from that
position.&Leask top scored with a 34-ball 48 as Scotland racked up 234 runs for eight wickets off their allotted 50 overs.Coming in at
number eight, he combined with Mark Watt (21 not out) for an invaluable eighth-wicket partnership of 46 after the Scots had been left
reeling at 170-7.Three other batsmen & Matthew Cross (38), Brandon McMullen (34) and George Munsey (31) & all got into the 30s, but failed
to build on their time at the crease.Sean Williams grabbed 3-41 off his 10 overs, but failed to shine with the bat as Zimbabwe were quickly
reduced to 37/4 in the run chase, under intense pressure from Sole.Wessly Madhevere hit 40 and the dangerous Sikandar Raza 34 as Zimbabwe
fought back.Ryan Burl gave the host nation most hope, however, hitting 83 off 84 balls.But Burl crucially fell to the offbreak of Leask, who
also had a smart catch off his own bowling to dismiss Richard Ngarava.The Scotsman ended with 2-33 off six overs and his team left the field
knowing that a victory over the Dutch on Thursday would see them headed for India in the Autumn.For Zimbabwe it was a case of deja vu after
a similar failure in 2018 qualifiers when they also needed to win only one of their last two matches to qualify for the World Cup
They lost in both games in both 2018 and 2023.&It&s always nice to put those demons from 2018 behind us and had we gotten over the line
today, nobody would have been asking about that but unfortunately, we didn&t,& said Ervine.Ariana Television Network will broadcast the
matches daily live on TV and Website.Pre-match shows will start at 11am (Kabul time), while the day&s match will start at 11.30am (Kabul
time).Matches are streamed live on Ariana Television websites simultaneously:www.arianatelevision.com/live
and www.arianatelevision.com/icc-liveCLICK HERE for the broadcast schedule on Ariana TelevisionThe post Scotland stuns Zimbabwe, secures
clash with Dutch for World Cup spot first appeared on Ariana News.
