Michael Leask registers best T20 WC figures for Scotland: Stats
What's the story
Scotland registered a resounding victory over debutants Italy in their T20 World Cup opener at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The team managed to post a record-breaking total for an Associate nation (207/4) and eventually won by 73 runs. Michael Leask was the standout performer with the ball, as he claimed four wickets. With this spell, he also recorded the best figures by a Scottish bowler in the tournament's history.
Cameo
Leask's cameo with the bat
Batting first after Italy won the toss, Scotland posted a mammoth total of 207/4 in their allotted 20 overs. This was the first time an Associate nation had crossed the 200-run mark in a T20 World Cup match. Leask, who arrived to bat in the final over, played a fiery cameo of 22 not out off just five balls, including a 22-run over, to propel Scotland's total.
Match-winning display
Leask's brilliance with the ball
Later, Leask returned with the ball and took four wickets for just 17 runs. He had trapped opener Justin Mosca on the very first ball of the innings. The off-spinner then did his magic in the middle overs as Italy collapsed from a promising position of 113/3 to being bowled out for just 134 runs in 16.4 overs.
Stats
A look at his stats
This was Leask's maiden T20I four-fer, which took his tally to 55 scalps from 76 games at 20.67, as per ESPNcricinfo. His economy is a decent 7.55. 14 of his wickets have come in T20 WCs at 23.14. As mentioned above, Leask (4/17) recorded the best figures by a Scottish bowler in a T20 WC game. The only other bowler from the country with a four-fer in the competition is pacer Josh Davey - 4/18 vs Papua New Guinea, 2021.
Information
892 runs with the bat
With the bat in hand, the 35-year-old Leask has raced to 892 runs in the T20I format at 16.51 (50s: 1). This includes a strike rate of 129.65.