Scotland thrash Oman to boost Super 8s hopes

Scotland raced to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Oman at the T20 World Cup to go top of Group B.

A wonderful unbeaten 61 from Brandon McMullen guided Scotland to their target of 151 in just 13.1 overs as Richie Berrington’s side delivered a real statement.

Safyaan Sharif marked his 200th Scotland cap with two wickets before the batting line-up took over.

George Munsey and Michael Jones set the tone before McMullen took charge with a series of eye-catching shots all around the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

The nature of the result leaves Scotland in a strong position to make the Super 8s and leaves England’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread.

A win over Australia next Sunday would guarantee the Scots’ place in the next stage, while even a loss could see them through.

In that scenario, England would need to win both their games against Oman and Namibia and also overhaul Scotland’s healthy net run-rate.

Scotland captain Richie Berrington: “Really pleased with that performance. It was important to get a win in what we knew would be a tough game. We’ve put ourselves in a really good position.

“It’s the first game on this wicket and we had to work it out quickly.

“We didn’t have a score in mind. It was more about trying to work out the right lengths to bowl and what was going to be effective.

“It was hard to defend the short side with the breeze, but we did that well for most of the innings.

“Although we were happy with what we’re chasing, it was really important to get a good start. If you lose a few early wickets, it can be a different chase.

“That partnership between George and Brandon got us in a strong position. We know what a classy player McMullen is, so I was really pleased for him to get a score.

“[Net run-rate] might come into play, but we can only control what we can. We’ll enjoy this moment, but we know there’s another big game to come.”

SOURCE: BBC