Dubai : Afghanistan and the United States, the two rising cricketing nations, provided an electrifying start to the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers by registering upset victories over Ireland and Scotland, respectively, on the opening day yesterday.
Afghanistan shocked Ireland by 13 runs at the Dubai Sports City's cricket stadium while the United States scored a six-wicket win over Scotland at Abu Dhabi's Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Ireland and Scotland had played in the 2009 ICC Twenty20 World Cup in England.
The first match of the day proved to be a stunner when the experienced Scotland batsmen began to fall one after the other to the American attack. Scotland skipper and the team's most experienced batsman Gavin Hamilton was the only one to put up a good show. He top scored with 41 runs off 53 balls with three hits to the boundaries to help Scotland muster 120 for seven.
America chased the total comfortably through a 97-run partnership between Carl Wright and Lennox Cush. Jamaican-born Wright hit 62 while Guyana-born Cush cracked 41 and won the match with five balls to spare.
Man of the match
The star for Afghanistan was Mohammad Nabi. Despite wickets falling around him, he hit a fighting 43 off 25 balls with three fours and two sixes to help his team post 139 for eight.
Nabi then went on to take the crucial wicket of Trent Johnston, who looked set to take his team to victory.
Scores
The United States bt Scotland by six wickets. Scotland 120 for 7 in 20 overs (Gavin Hamilton 41, Kevin Darlington 2 for 19) US 121 for 4 in 19.1 overs (Carl Wright 62, Lennox Cush 41) Man of the match: Carl Wright
Afghanistan bt Ireland by 13 runs. Afghanistan 139 for 8 in 20 overs (Noor Ali 42, Mohammad Nabi 43) Ireland 126 all out in 19.2 overs (William Porterfield 35, Karim Sadiq 3 for 17) Man of the match: Mohammad Nabi
