SCOTLAND have the opportunity to create history and become the first associate nation to qualify for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup since the competition changed to its current format.
The final qualifier match began at 8am this morning in Bulawayo against the Netherlands.
If Scotland are victorious over the Netherlands, then the team will secure their spot in the World Cup. If they lose, it will come down to the margin of victory, and whether the Netherlands can leapfrog the Scots’ net run rate.
Scotland head into this game following impressive Super Six victories over the West Indies and Zimbabwe, whilst the Netherlands lost a nail biter to Sri Lanka before defeating Oman.
One of Scotland’s key players throughout the tournament has been Michael Leask, who struck an unforgettable match-winning 91 against Ireland, before hitting 48 and taking 2-33 against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s meeting with the Netherlands, he said: “Every game we are branded as an underdog. We’ve come into this tournament believing in our own ability, every game is the first game of the tournament and the game tomorrow is no different.
“We have played every game like it’s a final. That’s the way this group goes. We’ve fought unbelievably hard in every single fixture and come out on the right side in most of them.
“Who would have thought it would be us v Holland to go through to the World Cup? Two teams who you would probably have said might finish fifth or sixth. Two teams who are fighting it out for a place in a World Cup.”
In 2018, a five-run DLS defeat to the West Indies ended Scotland’s hopes of making the World Cup, with rain coming down and cutting the chase short.
Leask was in the middle that day when conditions intervened, but after earning revenge over the West Indies in the Super Six, he and the team are keen to go one better than five years ago.
He added: “2018 hurt a lot of us and a lot of the squad are still here. The performances on the park have shown that we’re not going to give up, we’re never going to give up in this tournament.
“There are guys in every single game putting their hand up for the shirt. Tomorrow, it might be three guys have to do it, it might be one, but it might be all 11 of us who have to do something special to win the game.”
