UAE spoil Kyle Coetzer’s farewell with fine win over Scotland in Texas

Ahmed Raza paid tribute to Kyle Coetzer after the UAE defeated Scotland in his final match as captain.

Coetzer announced before the Cricket World Cup League 2 fixture in Texas that it would be his last game in charge.

The opener led the side to a remarkable run of success during his 110 matches in charge, culminating in 10 wins in 11 completed matches in ODI cricket leading up to the UAE game.

The UAE team, and captain Raza in particular, have great respect for the job Coetzer has done – not just for his team but for the wider game beyond the Test-playing nations.

Raza paid tribute to his “humble nature” and “never say die attitude”, and termed him a “great ambassador for associate cricket and one of the finest leader in world cricket”.

Despite the show of respect, there was no room for sentiment on the field, as UAE rebounded from two chastening losses at the start of their tour with a five-wicket win.

Raza led the way himself, with 1-17 from 10 thrifty overs of left-arm spin.

Basil Hameed was similarly parsimonious, taking 1-20 from his allocation of overs, while Kashif Daud and Karthik Meiyappan took two wickets apiece as Scotland were bowled out for 171.

They hauled the target in with 35 balls left, after a half century by Vriitya Aravind and a quick-fire 32 not out by Zawar Farid.

With two crucial points against Scotland, UAE have managed to close the gap at the top of the #CWCL2 table.Catch all of League 2 on https://t.co/MHHfZPyHf9