New Zealand vs Scotland 1st T20I Match Highlights:
The New Zealand tour to Scotland has begun and the first T20I brought as much happiness to the visitors, just like their last series. The team won the match by 68 runs, thanks to Finn Allen who scored his maiden century. Let us look at New Zealand vs Scotland 1st T20I Match Highlights.
As New Zealand batted first against Scotland in the first T20I at The Grange Cricket Club Ground, Finn Allen struck his first-ever international century, leading the team to score 225 runs. With the aid of eight fours and six sixes, the right-handed batter scored 101 runs off just 56 balls at the strike rate of 180.36. For the first wicket, he and Guptill shared 85 runs before the latter was caught on 40. Jimmy Neesham scored 30 runs off just nine balls, and Daryl Mitchell scored 23 runs while remaining unbeaten to help the Kiwis reach a significant total.
After setting a 226-run target for Scotland the New Zealand camp looked quite confident. To everyone’s amazement, however, the hosts in the second innings began actively chasing the mountain. In just 8.1 overs, openers George Munsey and Calum MacLeod put together a 62-run partnership for the first wicket. Ish Sodhi, the in-form spinner, gave New Zealand the breakthrough they needed by bowling out Munsey for 28 runs.
Later in the same over, Sodhi dismissed Ollie Hairs to give New Zealand the game’s lead. MacLeod’s wicket was taken by captain Mitchell Santner after an impressive performance of 33 runs in just 24 balls. On his subsequent delivery, Sodhi dismissed Scottish captain Richie Berrington, but he was denied a chance to complete a hat-trick. The dismissal of Matthew Cross by right-arm pacer Ben Sears dropped Scotland to 88/5 in 12.1 overs.
Soon the hosts were out for 157 and lost the match by 68 runs. For kiwis, Ish Sodhi was the man of the moment as he took 4 wickets. He was very well backed by captain Santner.
