When Glenn Maxwell was comprehensively bowled by a sensational delivery from Mark Watt, Scotland seemed on the verge of their greatest victory ever.
Needing to defeat Australia to progress to the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup at the expense of England, the Associate nation first bludgeoned a strong bowling attack to all corners of Gros Islet to rack up 5/180 from their 20 overs, led by a spectacular 34-ball 60 from Brandon McMullen that featured six sixes – the equal-most ever hit by a player in a World Cup match against Australia.
Helping their cause was an uncharacteristically sloppy fielding performance from Australia that only furthered conspiracy theories of a tank job to knock England out, with Mitchell Marsh responsible for three of the team’s six shelled chances, the most by a team at this tournament in a single innings.
Then, when the spin of Watt bamboozled Maxwell to knock back the star all-rounder’s off stump for just 11, Australia had been reduced to 3/60 midway through the ninth over, needing more than 11 runs per over for victory.
However, the Scottish dream would wither from there, with Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis combining for an 80-run partnership to steady the ship, both reaching half-centuries and making the most of some ideal batting conditions at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.
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Stoinis in particular continued his sparkling World Cup group stage with a match-turning innings, clubbing nine fours and two sixes in a 29-ball 59 that deservedly earned him player of the match honours.
Scotland’s fate was all but sealed when, with Australia needing just three from the final three balls, Chris Sole dropped a tough high chance on the boundary to spare Tim David.
Had the catch been held, new man in Ashton Agar would have been left needing to find three from the final two in his first hit of the tournament; having been spared, David launched Brad Wheal over the mid-wicket boundary to secure a nervy victory.
The result eliminates the lionhearted Scots from the tournament, with England proceeding to the Super 8s despite their poor start to the group stage; Australia, meanwhile, will head into a group with India, Afghanistan and either Bangladesh or the Netherlands with an unbeaten, if now irrelevant, World Cup record.
MORE TO COME