New Zealand vs Scotland T20 World Cup 2021 Highlights: Scotland fall short by 16 runs as Kiwis secure second win

It was a brilliant effort from Scotland to bring the game close – particularly from Michael Leask, who remained unbeaten on 42 off just 20 deliveries as Scotland end on 15/5 in 20 overs. New Zealand register their second victory of the Super 12.

13 runs off Southee's 19th over, but it's a classic case of ‘so near, yet so far’. An excellent fight from Scotland but they might just fall short in this run-chase.

Sodhi did take two important wickets in the game, but conceded 42 runs off his four overs. Michael Leask ends his final over with three successive boundaries – a six and two fours.

Scotland need 39 runs to win from 12 balls.

Safe to say, only formalities remain. Berrington is the latest to perish as he attempts to slap a length ball from Sodhi towards midwicket. The batter finds a top-edge and is caught easily by wicketkeeper Devon Conway, who sprints towards short third man.

Scotland 108/5 in 16 overs. Target - 173

Macleod's misery ends as he is dismissed on 12 off 15 deliveries. Trent Boult gets his second wicket. Macleod goes across the crease to set himself up for a paddle-scoop, Boult senses the shot and bowls a fullish delivery onto the stumps. 

The batter misses the line completely, with the ball castling his stumps.

Scotland 103/4 in 15 overs. Target - 173

Following the wickets of Munsey and Cross in successive overs, the required run-rate has jumped to 12.17. Scotland require 73 runs in six overs to pull out the biggest upset in this edition of the T20 World Cup so far.

Scotland 100/3 in 14 overs

Experience triumphs. Tim Southee dismisses Matthew Cross!

Southee keeps it back of the length and the ball cuts into the right-hander sharply. Cross shuffles with his shot and tries to play the ball across the line, but misses it completely.

A two-paced innings from Cross, who took 29 balls for his 27 -- which include 20 runs in an over.

Scotland 77/3 in 11 overs

Scotland had a shaky start as they lost their captain Kyle Coetzer early, but Adam Milne's 20-run over caused a momentum shift. New Zealand are still prime favourites for now, as Scotland require 97 runs to win from 60 deliveries.

Can the Scots pull out an upset here?

Googly? A normal leg-spin? Munsey didn't seem to care much as he hit Ish Sodhi off for two sixes. However, the reckless approach eventually cost him for the third time – ironically, Munsey gives his wicket away on a full-toss. He is caught at long-on while aiming for a third six of the over.

Scotland 66/2 in 7.5 overs 

What a turn in fortunes for Milne. He bowled a maiden in the previous over, and then concedes five fours in six deliveries against Matthew Cross! 

A turnaround for Cross as well, who couldn't put bat to ball properly in Milne's first over. 

Scotland 48/1 in 6 overs. Target - 173

No run from Adam Milne's first over as Matthew Cross is all at sea. Brilliant variations from Milne as he troubles Cross with pace. The batter gets beaten on four of six deliveries in the over. 

Scotland 25/1 in 4 overs. Target - 173

Kyle Coetzer departs! Trent Boult sets the Scottish captain brilliantly as New Zealand get the breakthrough. He starts with a short-pitched delivery first-up, and then takes the pace away completely to bowl a fuller one. Coetzer, who had already committed to flick, gives away an easy catch at mid-on.

Scotland 25/1. Target - 173

The captain kickstarts his innings with a solid four through the covers, and ends Trent Boult's first over with a flick towards deep midwicket.

Scotland 9/0 in 1 over. Target: 173

Scotland openers Kyle Coetzer and George Munsey arrive at the crease for the run-chase.

The Kiwis had a shaky start to their innings, losing Mitchell and Wiliamson in a single over inside the Powerplay, but Martin Guptill held his end and helped stabilise the innings alongside Glenn Phillips to take New Zealand to a strong total.

Guptill misses his century by merely seven runs. An excellent knock from the opener comes to an end. Bradley Wheal picks two in two but misses his hat-trick.

Guptill looked out of steam way before his dismissal but continued on his onslaught nevertheless. In a bid to further up the ante, Guptill goes for a lofted shot down the ground, but is caught at long-on.

New Zealand 163/5 in 19 overs

Phillips' uneventful stay on the wicket ends. He departs on 33 off 36 deliveries. The batter never looked settled and even as he helped stabilise NZ's innings alongside Guptill, Phillips would be disappointed with his knock.

New Zealand 157/4 in 18.2 overs

More than half of New Zealand's runs have come from Martin Guptill's bat as he enters the 90s. Already the second-highest score of this edition so far, as Guptill is currently unbeaten on 92.

New Zealand 150/3 in 17 overs

These are tough conditions but the New Zealand opener has battled the heat with enormous grit so far. He slams a slower length delivery for a monstrous six towards midwicket and gets down on his knees, but doesn't let the heat affect his game. 

A quick two and another six to end Sharif's third over.

New Zealand 137/3 in 16 overs

Easy runs for the New Zealand batters in the last few overs as momentum shifts in the game. Guptill, in particular, is finding runs at will. The opener has hit six fours and four sixes so far.

Despite the wickets, New Zealand have managed to keep an impressive run-rate. Scotland have been undisciplined with the ball, and Guptill has made sure of charging big against the bad deliveries.

New Zealand 106/3 in 13 overs

An excellent innings for the right-hander. A naturally-aggressive batter, Guptill played to the situation after the quick wickets while punishing the bad deliveries, and reached his half-century in 35 deliveries. He reaches his fifty with a six.

He also breached the 3000-run mark during the innings, becoming the only second player in T20Is to do so after Virat Kohli.

The duo is putting on an important partnership after the quick wickets. They've added 40 runs off 35 deliveries and Phillips is now middling the ball well, contrary to the initial phase of the innings.

New Zealand 93/2 in 12 overs

Martin Guptill (39*) holds one end but wickets continued to fall on the other at regular intervals in the first ten overs. Glenn Phillips, the new batter on the crease, hasn't looked comfortable as well, as he missed a couple of big hits in his short stay so far. He is batting on 6 off 12 balls.

Conway departs on the first ball after the Powerplay! Poor from the batter. Merely an over after the side lost its two highest-scorers from the previous game, an adventurous shot at such an early stage of the innings was always going to be a risk. 

Conway goes for a reverse-sweep but fails miserably at it, as wicketkeeper Mark Watt takes an easy catch.

New Zealand 54/3 in 7 overs