Scotland slumped to their second defeat in as many days as a defiant innings from Ryan Watson proved in vain against Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom yesterday.
Watson, born in Harare, showed scant regard for his countrymen in taking 64 in his side's final warm-up game before their Twenty20 World Cup opener against Pakistan on Wednesday. However, the Scots, who had at one stage looked on course for a total of 180, again fell short of a truly competitive total.
Chasing 156 for victory, Zimbabwe were helped on their way by a splendid second wicket stand of 79 between Vasi Sibanda and Chamu Chishabha and, despite a flurry of wickets in mid-innings, they eased to a win with five wickets and seven balls to spare.
Spin-twins Majid Haq and Ross Lyons were again the pick of the bowlers with the Ferguslie off-spinner taking 2-29 from his four overs while Lyons took 1-24 from three. However, concerns increased over the form of Craig Wright who, having been expensive against Bangladesh on Saturday, was removed from the attack after his one over went for thirteen runs.
Earlier the Scots, having been sent in to bat, recovered from the departure of Gregor Maiden to lay the platform for what should have been a huge total. Watson laid into his compatriots from the start with some trademark big-hitting while Nav Poonia continued the form which had seen him hit a half-century against Bangladesh on Saturday.
On this occasion it was Watson who top-scored, his fifty coming from just thirty-six deliveries and including five fours and two sixes. Poonia, who hit a rapid 36, helped the captain put on 83 in just eight overs as Scotland looked capable of posting a total in the region of 180.
However, when the young Warwickshire batsman was stumped off Prosper Utseya, the Africans fought their way back into contention.
The introduction of leg- spinner Timycen Maruma was sufficient to douse Watson's fireworks, the Forfarshire batsman offering a catch to Christopher Mpofu for a splendid 64 from fifty balls.
Clydesdale's Qasim Sheikh helped maintain the rate in an enterprising 22 from five deliveries fewer but Scotland's middle order men were unable to find the big boundaries. Instead Neil McCallum hit the solitary boundary in the 4.3 overs remaining following Watson's departure.
"We were again 15-20 runs short and we should really have got them after the start we had," Watson declared. "There are areas we have to work on and batting during the death overs is one of them."
On Saturday afternoon, Poonia top-scored with 54 as Scotland posted 145-8 against Bangladesh, but the Tigers cruised to the target with six wickets and four overs in hand.
Meanwhile Pakistan, Scotland's opponents on Wednesday, flexed their muscles with two impressive wins, trouncing Zimbabwe by 54 runs on Saturday and following that up with a five-wicket success against Sri Lanka.
Former Saltires and Clydesdale all-rounder Yasir Arafat claimed the prized wicket of Kumar Sangakkara.
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