Scotland’s Under-19s overpowered their Jersey counterparts in Almería on Monday, winning by eight wickets and setting up a crucial match against the Netherlands on Tuesday.
The tone for the game was set from the very first ball when, after Jersey captain Josh Lawrenson had won the toss and elected to bat, Sean Fischer-Keogh had James Smith caught behind by Charlie Tear.
It was an uphill battle all the way for Jersey after that, the most fruitful partnership of the innings of 39 for the fourth wicket coming from Charlie Brennan (22) and Patrick Gouge, who top-scored with a patient 32.
But otherwise it was the Scottish slower bowlers who were in complete control, left-armers Charlie Peet and Oliver Davidson taking two for 14 and three for 21 respectively from their ten overs, and another of the same breed, Jamie Cairns, claiming two for 24 from five.
Gabriel Gallmann-Findlay was in no mood to hang around when the Scots replied, and his unbeaten 59 from 73 deliveries, with seven fours and two sixes, enabled his side to bring proceedings to a close in just 21.4 overs, giving Scotland an early NRR advantage over their rivals.
On the evidence of the first two matches it will be the spin bowlers who play a decisive role in this tournament, and the outcome of Tuesday’s clash may well depend on which of the two batting line-ups is better able to neutralise the threat coming from that quarter.
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