Scots down Garamuts

 SCOTLAND needed a 43-ball 69 from No. 7 Henry Edwards to take them to a two-wicket win over Papua New Guinea at Oak Hill Cricket Club on Monday.

The match was reduced to 33 overs a side, and Scotland were left chasing 156 after Peter Legget’s three wickets helped them bowl PNG out. 

Scotland stuttered in the chase and were 67 for 5 before Edwards came to their rescue. 

PNG seamers Raymond Haoda Jr and Norman Vanua took seven wickets between them, but Scotland got home with 11 balls to spare.

In other matches, Namibia pulled off their third win in four games when they overhauled Canad s’ score of 236 in 48.5 overs at The Inch in Dublin. 

Canada’s score was built around an unbeaten century from No. 3 Nikhil Dutta, who resisted an incisive spell from Stephen Baard (5-49).

Ireland stayed in touch at the top with their third win of the tournament, a tight two-wicket final-over victory over Kenya at Observatory Lane. 

After being put in, Kenya rustled up a competitive 222, with Duncan Allan’s 123 being the centerpiece of the innings. 

Only two other batsmen, Rakep Patel and Kennedy Ochieng, made it to double digits but both were involved in substantial partnerships with Allan.

Nepal went to the top of the table with a crushing 159-run win over Vanuatu at YMCA Club. 

Half-centuries from opener Sagar Pun and No. 3 Naresh Budayair, and a generous 34 wides from Vanuatu, powered Nepal to 250. 

Seamer Shem Sala was the most successful Vanuatu bowler, taking three wickets for 49. 

Vanuatu’s chase never got going as medium-pacer Krishna Karki sliced through the top order, leaving them at 20 for 4.

The U19 World Cup qualifiers ladder after four rounds is: Nepal 6, Namibia 6, Scotland 6, Ireland 6, Canada 4, USA 4, Kenya 4, Afghanistan 2, PNG 2 and Vanuatu 2.