23-year-old Lyle Robertson scripted history as he registered the best bowling figures on ODI debut by a spinner. Scotland's Robertson claimed a six-wicket haul, including three wickets in his final over to bowl out Canada for 177 in the run chase of 348. Scotland registered a 170-run win, their joint-highest in ODIs. They repeated a 2014 feat. 12 years ago, they had beaten Canada by 170 runs as well.
The previous record for best bowling figures on ODI debut belonged to Pakistan's Arafat Minhas who took five wickets for 32 runs against Australia earlier this year.
Skipper Berrington scores a ton
On August 13 at Forthill, Dundee, Scotland skipper Richie Berrington won the toss and opted to bat first. Openers Finlay McCreath and Michael English were dismissed early. Brandon McMullen and Berrington shared a 140-run partnership for the third wicket. Yuvraj Samra broke the partnership with McMullen's wicket. He scored 64 runs from 59 balls, featuring eight fours and three sixes. In the 36th over, Berrington reached his ton from 93 balls. A couple of overs later, Berrington hit Zahid Shirzad for a six and a four before getting dismissed lbw. His knock of 120 from 103 balls was laced with 15 fours and four sixes.
Michael Jones and Matthew Cross accelerated in the slog overs. In the 35th over, Kaleem Sana got the wicket of Jones. He got bowled for a 47-ball 41. In the next over, Shirzad returned and got new batter Mark Watt out. Shirzad took a beating in the 48th over, conceding two sixes off Jack Jarvis' bat. In the final over, Shirzad dismissed Jarvis for a 14-ball 30. Cross completed his half-century from 37 balls off the penultimate delivery. he helped Scotland post 347/7 on the board.
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No fight from Canada in run chase
Canada's run chase got off to a slow start. Watt got Aaron Johnson out in the third over. Samra couldn't make an impact and lost his wicket to Safyaan Sharif for a 23-ball 16. Pargat Singh missed out on a half-century as he lost his wicket to Jarvis for a 68-ball 42. In the 23rd over, Robertson had his first wicket on debut, dismissing Harsh Thaker. In the next over, Jarvis ended Anoop Chima's cameo of 16-ball 42. Scotland lost half the side for 110 in the 24th over.
Saad Bin Zafar entertained the crowd with a couple of sixes and fours. In the 31st over, he fell to Robertson. The youngster got Shivam Sharma out in the next over. In the 35th over, he got Shreyas Movva and Shirzad out off consecutive deliveries. After a dot ball, he finished his spell with Sana's wicket as Scotland were bowled out for 177 in 35 overs.
Robertson enters Rabada’s league
Robertson bagged six wickets and conceded 52 runs from 10 overs. He became the fourth bowler to take six wickets or more on ODI debut. The top spot belongs to Charlie Cassell with seven wickets for 21 runs against Oman at the same venue in 2024. South Africa's Kagiso Rabada is in the second spot with six wickets for 16 runs from eight overs against Bangladesh in 2015. In 2003, West Indies' Fidel Edwards bagged six wickets for 22 runs in seven overs against Zimbabwe in 2023.