USA stun Scotland to qualify for ICC Champions Trophy
Guyana Chronicle
March 7, 2004
The USA sensationally qualified to face cricket's elite nations in the ICC Champions Trophy later this year by defeating Scotland in Dubai.
They pipped the Scots for overall victory at the Six Nations Challenge by 0.027 on net run rate.
Scotland were bowled out for 206, but the USA reached 208-5 in the 48th over to clinch qualification.
The USA will be in the same Champions Trophy group as Australia and New Zealand in England in September.
It will be the first time they have taken part in a full one-day international.
US cricket is run on a regional basis, involving more than 10 000 club players, but they have only four grass wickets in the entire country.
Former West Indies Test batsman Clayton Lambert was the US match-winner, hitting an unbeaten 60 off 49 balls, including two sixes and five fours, and he was well supported by Steve Massiah (42) and Ajaz Ali (34 not out)
The Scotland total was based on an innings of 60 by Gavin Hamilton, who will play county cricket in England for Durham this summer, but they did well to pass 200 after a spell of 4-39 from Javed Nasir.
Five teams finished on six points after the UAE beat Holland by three wickets and Namibia defeated Canada.
Holland were favourites to qualify before the start of the final day and Darron Reekers (85) and Tim de Leede (74) took them to a total of 290.
But Syed Maqsood responded with 93 for the hosts and Asim Saeed hit 55 as they reached 295-7 with five balls remaining.
Namibia posted a modest total of 195-7 in their game, but then bowled out Canada, who lost all five games, for 190 to win by five runs. (BBC Sport)
SYED Maqsood's innings enabled the UAE to reach a tough target
SCOTLAND innings
R.Watson c Staple b Reid 5
G.Hamilton c Blake b Nasir 60
I.Stanger stp. M.Johnson b Nasir 32
D.Brown c Ali b Nasir 19
D.Watts c M.Johnson b Amin 8
C.Wright c M.Johnson b Nasir 5
D.Lockhart c M.Johnson b Massiah 11
J.Brinkley c M.Johnson b Massiah 1
G.Maiden c & b Staple 13
J.Blain c Massiah b Staple 29
P.Hoffmann not out 4
Extras: 19
Total: (all out, 49.4 overs) 206
Fall: 1-14, 2-78, 3-124, 4-132, 5-138, 6-150, 7-151, 8-162, 9-179.
Bowling H Johnson 6-0-14-0, Reid 6-0-15-1, Blake 5-0-26-0, Lambert 5-1-15-0, Nasir 10-0-39-4, Amin 10-0-38-1, Massiah 4-0-25-2, Staple 3.4-0-28-2.
USA innings
R.Alexander lbw b Brown 15
M.Johnson c Brinkley b Blain 0
R.Staple lbw b Brown 2
S.Massiah c Brinkley b Wright 46
C.Reid run-out 32
C.Lambert not out 60
A.Ali not out 34
Extras: 19
Total: (for 5 wickets, 47.2 overs) 208
Fall: 1-4, 2-16, 3-31, 4-94, 5-135.
Bowling: Blain 5-0-25-1, Brown 9-3-29-2, Hoffmann 10-2-13-0, Brinkley 5-0-26-0, Watson 9-0-49-0, Wright 7.2-0-46-1.