MCMULLEN MAGIC LEADS SCOTHS TO VICTORY OVER USA – Cricket Scotland

A stunning 151 from Brandon McMullen lifted Scotland to a 71-run win over the USA in their ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 meeting in Dallas.

McMullen hit 11 fours and six maximums as he recorded his highest ODI score, ably supported by Charlie Tear (51) and Michael Leask (33*) as Scotland scored 119 runs from the last ten overs.

Brad Currie took two wickets in the opening powerplay to pile the pressure on the US, and while Utkarsh Srivastava (67), Monak Patel (51) and Sanjay Krishnamurthi (49) kept the US alive deep into the match, Jack Jarvis (4-40) USA alive. ) secured a comfortable second win in this series for the Scots, who moved up to third place in the CWCL2 table above the Netherlands.

After USA won the toss and elected to field, Charlie Tear and Andrew Umeed went on a flourish, racing to 26 without loss in four overs. Umeed had hit a huge six over long-leg, but he then teed up Saurabh Netravalkar for 18.

McMullen settled quickly with some confident trademark drives, and he and Tear passed 50 in the twelfth over, on the same delivery used two days earlier and looking increasingly good to hit.

The pair continued to build a healthy platform and took Scotland to 100 in the twenty-third over. Growing increasingly dominant, McMullen hit first Netravalkar and then Harmeet Singh for six, bringing up his fifty from 63 balls.

Tear brought up his own fifty a few overs later, but the run-rate started to drop, and soon afterwards he made a return catch to Noshusch Kenjige, leaving captain Richie Berrington in trouble.

With 15 overs to go Scotland were 152-2 and with McMullen looking serenely at the crease they were in a good position to finish strongly and set a challenging target. Berrington was now on his stride and hit a huge six down the ground off Harmeet as the American attack tired.

McMullen hit a glorious pull over midwicket for four to move to 99, reaching a brilliant third ODI century two balls later. The partnership was now worth 80, but Berrington then holed out to Jasdeep on a run-a-ball 26 to leave the Scots 211-3 after 42 overs.

Michael Jones joined McMullen, who was now completely loose, hitting two sixes on the forty-third over, conceding twenty runs. Jones soon got in on the fun with a brilliant reverse scoop off Van Schalkwyk to bring up 250 with five overs to go.

Jones fell for 12 after taking Netravalkar deep into cover, leaving Michael Leask in trouble. He promptly bowled Jasdeep over deep midwicket onto the roof of the sports bar in style, then repeated the shot twice off Netravalkar in the next over.

McMullen was dropped on 143 – then with two boundaries he brought up Scotland's 300 and his 150 in successive balls, before being bowled by Jasdeep for 151. Leask hit another six off the final ball of the innings to finish with 33 out 11 balls. while Scotland ended their innings with an imposing 317-5.

With the necessary impetus from the start, Shayan Jahangir tried to set the tone for the US with two consecutive boundaries off Currie, but the bowler produced a pearl of reply to clear the next ball.

Van Schalkwyk, who had scored a half-century in the first meeting between the teams, was promoted up the rankings but fell without scoring to Currie LBW. At 25-2 the US was on the ropes.

American captain Patel and Sushant Modani kept the momentum going and took the home side to 59-2 after ten overs. Berrington brought Mark Watt into the attack, and he struck immediately, with Modani missing a sweep to McMullen at midwicket for 25.

At drinks, USA were 93-3 and the match was in the balance, but Watt tipped the match back to Scotland when he tempted Saiteja Mukkamalla to chop at his stumps for 10. Patel, meanwhile, continued to reach a half-century, and his continued presence created a current threat to Scotland's hopes of victory.

That presence ended at the hands of his counterpart, as Berrington took a superb catch at cover off Jack Jarvis to remove Patel for 52. Tear then blasted away a simple chance to Leask, given by Srivastava, but the Scots were still on top.

Krishnamurthi and Srivastava started to rebuild impressively with run-a-ball as Berrington juggled his bowlers over the middle overs. Currie dropped a crisp caught and bowled chance from Srivastava as the tension began to rise, and with 15 overs to go the US needed 130 to win.

McMullen returned to the attack and immediately broke the partnership, as Krishnamurthi went to Leask at point 49. 17-year-old Srivastava kept things moving and passed 50, but the pendulum swung again as Leask dragged Harmeet Singh across the field and Cross knocked off the bails before Jasdeep Jarvis slotted behind to make it 233-8 to take.

Jarvis eventually removed Srivastava for a well-made 67, caught by Berrington at cover, and then cleared Netravalkar to complete his best ever ODI bowling figures as the Scots cruised to victory.

Scotland have one final match in this series, against Nepal on Monday, starting at 4.30pm UK.