SCOTLAND will have been looking to complete a World Cricket League double over Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby overnight, but regardless of the result, coach Grant Bradburn says continued improvement is the priority for his team.
The Scots will be assured of heading to Zimbabwe next spring for the World Cup Qualifiers should they have won and will be setting their sights on overhauling the Netherlands to win the WCL outright, though for that to transpire it is likely they would need to win their
remaining two matches against Kenya with the Dutch having to lose their last double header against Namibia.
Bradburn’s men may yet have cause to rue unexpected defeats to Hong Kong and Namibia earlier in the campaign and the torrential rain which washed out their two games against the Netherlands in September 2015, but the national coach is not a man for regrets.
“For Scotland the focus is firmly on the here and now,” he said. “Our aim in PNG has been to bring consistency of performance to each and every day, whether that be training or playing. As coach I couldn’t be happier with the improvements we are seeing translate from preparation to on-field performance.
“The players now are very demanding of each other and there is a nice balance of trust in themselves and their team-mates to bring high levels of skill to their individual roles.
“We are now witnessing regular big centuries scored by batsmen which is a clear indicator of players accepting accountability to win games. The fielding unit keeps getting better and better while the balance of attack is very exciting with real pace and
quality spin to select from.
“As a group we have our feet firmly on the ground and we are not getting ahead of ourselves. Our number one mantra is continual improvement and that is clear to see.”
The format for the qualifier is yet to be confirmed but it will feature the top four teams from the WCL together with the lowest four ranked Full Members in the official rankings – currently Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and West Indies.
Only two will progress to the main event but Bradburn believes in his players.
“Our white-ball skills have improved a lot and we are confident in what we can do. We beat Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe during the summer so we know what we are capable of.”
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