Chris Sole insists the cricketing public shouldn’t be surprised by Scotland’s success as they moved to the brink of World Cup qualification.
The Saltires needed to defeat Zimbabwe in Bulawayo to keep alive hopes of reaching October’s tournament in India and they did just that, triumphing by 31 runs.
Scotland’s final match in the Super Six is against the Netherlands on Thursday and a win would guarantee World Cup qualification.
But even a narrow loss would be enough because the Scots have a better net run-rate than the Dutch.
Victory against Zimbabwe means Scotland have beaten three of the four test nations they have faced in the tournament
Fast bowler Sole, who took 3-33 to win the player of the match award, said: “Those sort of games are always an arm wrestle, you’ve got to stay in the fight as long as you can.
“Ryan Burl (83) played a really good knock and the only ball he didn’t time was the one he got caught from.
“But if there’s a man you want with the ball in hand to say: ‘I’ll get the wicket’, it’s Michael Leask.
“He loves the battle and it was a great job from him to come back in that over and take Burl.
“The thing about this squad is that everyone is mucking in and has a massive amount of belief.
“We’re forever the underdogs and we’re used to it so we don’t mind.
“People always say it’s an upset, but we’re doing it more and more and I think it’s time that it changed from upset to just Scotland beating sides.
“We’ve been doing it pretty convincingly and we’ve done it again – three of the four test nations we’ve beaten in this tournament.”
Lower order hitting
Scotland were put in to bat on a tricky surface at Queens Club Bulawayo and stumbled their way to a total of 234-8, with some important late hitting from Aberdonian Michael Leask bolstering the score.
Keen not to lose early wickets, openers Matthew Cross and Chris McBride were watchful, putting on 56 before the latter fell for 28, bowled by Tendai Chatara.
Cross and Brandon McMullen looked to up the tempo before Cross was bowled for 38 by Sean Williams to leave the Saltires 102-2 in the 26th over.
McMullen departed with just three more added to the total, having stroked six boundaries in his 34.
Captain Richie Berrington couldn’t get going and was caught for seven off Williams’ bowling in the deep.
George Munsey and Tomas Mackintosh then found themselves stifled by some canny bowling.
Mackintosh was dismissed in bizarre fashion when Munsey drove down the ground and bowler Blessing Muzarabani managed to deflect the ball on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Mackintosh caught out of his ground.
Munsey fell for 31 to Richard Ngarava’s yorker and when Chris Greaves was run out, the score was 170-7.
An inspirational 48 from 34 balls from Leask and Mark Watt’s useful 21 not out from 15 deliveries helped Scotland reach 234.
Sole makes important inroads
With the required run-rate less than five an over, the onus was on the Saltires to bowl out their hosts.
A superb opening spell from Sole gave them a chance of doing that.
The quick bowler removed Joylord Gumbie for a first ball duck (caught behind), Craig Ervine for two (bowled) and Sean Williams for 12 (bowled).
After Sikandar Raza had been dropped on five by Greaves, McMullen had Innocent Kaia trapped lbw to leave Zimbabwe 37-4.
Raza and Ryan Burl added 54 for the fifth wicket before Greaves had Raza caught at long off by Mackintosh.
Burl and Wessly Madhevere then enjoyed a partnership of 73, and, just as things were threatening to get away from Scotland, Watt trapped Madhevere in front.
McMullen snared Wellington Masakadza for five and Leask got in on the act, dismissing Ngarava – caught and bowled – for two to leave Zimbabwe 182-8.
However, the key man Burl remained – only for Leask to have him caught at mid-wicket for an excellent 83, which included eight fours and a six.
Soon after Safyaan Sharif bowled Chatara for his 100th wicket in One-Day Internationals and Zimbabwe were all out for 203.
