DHAKA: Afghanistan's pace attack impressed again as Scotland were restricted to 210 in Dunedin. Dawlat and Shapoor Zadran shared seven wickets, though the final total was more than appeared likely at one stage because Majid Haq and Alasdair Evans added a Scotland record 62 for the ninth wicket.

Making use of early movement, Afghanistan reduced Scotland to 40 for 3 and then surged again later in the innings, claiming 5 for 51 to leave them tottering on 144 for 8.

Alongside the damage caused by the main three quicks, Mohammad Nabi and the recalled Gulbadin Naib claimed a valuable wicket apiece, while the 30 overs between Dawlat, Shapoor and Hamid Hassan cost just 99 runs.

Scotland's batting once again suffered from failing to convert starts into something more substantial. Four of top six fell between 23 and 31, but the resistance from the lower order lifted them over 200 for the first time in World Cup matches.

It gave their own seam attack a total they will believe is defendable, especially as the last time the sides met Afghanistan were bundled out for 63 chasing a similar score.

Against Sri Lanka it took Dawlat just one delivery to make his mark. This time he required five more until opening his account when Calum MacLeod slashed a wide delivery to point - one of those occasions when the shot was the correct option, but the placement went awry.

For ten overs Kyle Coetzer and the recalled Hamish Gardiner weathered the initial spells. The former dominated the scoring, as he did against England in Christchurch, before a terrific over from Hamid accounted for Gardiner.

There were consecutive appeals for lbw and caught behind, then at the third time of asking Hamid received the response he wanted from the umpire.

In the next over, Coetzer was defeated by Dawlat's seam movement as he nipped one past the inside edge although the batsman will consider the shot loose in the circumstances.

A recovery was forged between Matt Machan and Preston Mommsen as the pair added 53 at a good tempo, only for the innings to falter again.

Machan tried to give himself room against Nabi then basically missed a straight delivery, but the ball to remove Mommsen by Naib was a lovely delivery which nipped away on off stump.

Sensing the moment to take the game by the scruff of the neck, Nabi recalled Hamid to the attack for a two-over spell but it was the second decision to bring back Shapoor that paid handsome dividends.

Bowling left arm around the wicket, Shapoor drew an edge from Matthew Cross that was acrobatically held by his opposite number, Afsar Zazai, diving full stretch to his right in front of first slip.

Afghanistan's catching continued to stand out when Hamid reached low at mid-off to hold Josh Davey's drive, an aggressive stroke against Shapoor when greater circumspection was called for with 17 overs remaining and Richie Berrington at the other end.

However, Berrington could not marshal the innings through the remaining overs when he became the latest to succumb to the probing line of Dawlat. A swift end was in the offing, but Afghanistan could not quite close out the innings.

Haq and Evans took the sensible decision to ensure they played out the overs, while the bowling and fielding lost a little of the earlier intensity.

Scotland were aided by four overthrows during Javed Ahmadi's only over and 13 came off the 48th bowled by Shapoor, which included a chest-high full toss.

The 200 was raised by a thumping lofted drive from Evans and Scotland went to the interval feeling better about themselves.

Source: ESPNcricinfo

BDST: 0840 HRS, FEB 26, 2015