05 March,2015 08:30 AM IST | | PTI
Bangladesh made their highest World Cup total to defeat Scotland by six wickets on Thursday to edge closer to a quarter-final place in their pool A ODI match of the ICC Cricket World Cup
Nelson: Bangladesh kept their World Cup quarter-final hopes alive when they defeated Scotland by six wickets in Nelson on Thursday, achieving the second highest successful run-chase in tournament history.
In a Pool A match of tumbling national records, Bangladesh overtook Scotland's 318 with 11 balls to spare. Each time Scotland felt they had made a significant breakthrough as Bangladesh narrowed in on the target, up stepped another batsman to maintain the pace.
Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal plays a shot during the Pool A 2015 Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and Scotland at Saxton Park Oval in Nelson on March 5, 2015. Pic/ AFP
Earlier, Scotland opener Kyle Coetzer hammered a career-best 134-ball 156 to power Scotland to a respectable 318 for eight.
Put into bat, Coetzer anchored the Scotland innings as he shared a 141-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Preston Mommsen (39), beside adding 78 runs with Matt Machan (35) for the third wicket to lay the foundation for the total.
Coetzer's scintillating innings was studded with 17 boundaries and four sixes. After his dismissal, Richie Berrington (26) and Matthew Cross (20) played small cameos to take Scotland across the 300-mark.
For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed was the best bowler as he scalped three wickets for 43, while Nasir Hossain (2/32), Mashrafe Mortaza (1/60) and Shakib Al Hasan (1/46) also contributed to team cause.
Earlier, Bangladesh reduced Scotland to 38 for two in 9.5 overs after captain Mushrafe Mortaza elected to field on the Saxton Oval track which looked to offer swing to the bowlers early on.
Mortaza led from the front when he struck the first blow dismissing opener Calum MacLeod (11) with a length delivery that found the leading edge of his bat as Mahmudullah took an easy catch at cover.
Taskin then got rid off Hamish Gardiner with Soumya Sarka taking the catch at cover, after an initial fumble, as Scotland slumped to 38 for 2.
Coetzer, however, ensured there were no more hiccups as he and Machan added 78 runs to take Scotland across the 100-mark. The stand was broken by Sabbir Rahman, who dismissed Machan with a caught and bowled effort in the 24th over.
Coetzer then forged another important innings with Mommsen, sharing 141 runs off 113 balls, as the duo took Scotland past the 250-mark. Spinner Nasir Hossain then picked up both Mommsen and Coetzer in successive overs but the run flow didn't dip as Berrington and Cross took Scotland across 300.
