CWC Qualifiers: Matthew Cross hammers 107-ball 74* versus West Indies
Scotland wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Cross played a great knock against West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 in Harare. Cross hammered his 10th ODI fifty. His knock of 74* consisted of seven boundaries. He smashed the winning runs as Scotland registered a seven-wicket triumph and knocked WI out of the race to qualify for the ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup. Here's more.
A reliable knock from Cross
Scotland faced an early blow in their innings when Christopher McBride was dismissed on the very first ball by Jason Holder. However Cross was unfazed by that dismissal as he rebuilt the innings with a 125-run partnership with Brandon McMullen. He then had two other stands with George Munsey and Richie Berrington as Scotland crossed the line. Cross remained unbeaten at 74*.
A look at his overall ODI numbers
Playing his 88th ODI, Cross has compiled 1,903 runs at an average of 24.08. Apart from smashing 10 fifties, he has scored two centuries in this format. He is the fourth-highest run-scorer for Scotland in ODIs. Only Kyle Coetzer (3,192), Calum MacLeod (3,026), and Berrington (2,857) have scored more runs than him in this format. His highest ODI score of 114 came against UAE.
Fifth-highest second-wicket partnership for Scotland in ODIs
McMullen and Cross stitched a 125-run partnership for the second wicket. Their stand became the fifth-highest second-wicket partnership for Scotland in ODIs. Hamish Gardiner and MacLeod hold the record second-wicket partnership for Scotland when they added 179 runs together in 2014.
How did the match pan out?
Scotland won the toss and decided to field first. McMullen did the trick with the new ball as he removed the WI top order. The other bowlers also came into the fray as WI kept losing wickets. Only Holder (45) gave some fight as they folded for 181. In reply, McMullen and Cross smashed fifties as they crossed the line in 43.3 overs.
