Dunedin: Scotland and Afghanistan are each targeting a first-ever Cricket World Cup victory when they meet in Dunedin on Thursday. Both of the minnow nations have given more fancied opposition a scare at this year’s tournament but are yet to win a match. Afghanistan looked a realistic prospect of upsetting Sri Lanka last weekend when they reduced the former world champions to 51/4 before a Mahela Jayawardene century consigned them to a four-wicket defeat.
Scotland gave co-hosts New Zealand some nervous moments when they took seven wickets as the Black Caps, one of the tournament favourites, chased a paltry 143-run target. Both of the non-Test playing “associate” nations have now lost two from two in their Pool A matches and have virtually no chance of reaching the quarter-finals, making a maiden victory their major goal for the tournament.
The Scots, who have appeared at two previous World Cups but are still yet to win a match, followed up their stirring display against New Zealand with a lacklustre 119-run loss to England. Scotland and Afghanistan have played each other eight times in one-day internationals, with the Scots on the wrong end of a 5-3 losing record. But they inflicted a heavy 150-run defeat on their opponents last time they met in Dubai last month, when Afghanistan were bowled out for 63 as medium pacer Josh Davey ran riot and ended with figures of 6/28.
Afghanistan’s attack will be led by Hamid Hassan, who is shaping up as the cult hero of this year’s tournament, with his red bandanna and face paint in the national colours. He is Afghanistan’s leading wicket taker at the tournament with five dismissals, including Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, which he celebrated with an unsteady cartwheel down the pitch. Many of Afghan players learned their cricket in refugee camps after fleeing their war-torn nation and a win in their first World Cup appearance would be a major achievement.
