Watson gives Scotland hope

Scotland's Dewald Nel, impressive all tournament, took 3-10 against Kenya

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Scotland will have to play the waiting game to see if they will play in next year's ICC World Twenty20 in England after finishing third in the qualifier in Stormont.

The side, helped by captain Ryan Watson's 54 and 48 from Kyle Coetzer, sauntered past Kenya in a third-fourth play-off and will now wait to discover their fate which lies in Zimbabwe's hands.

The beleaguered country look set to withdraw from next year's showpiece event and if they do as expected Scotland will fill the void.

Both Scotland and Kenya, who lost to the Netherlands and Ireland earlier today, knew only a win would suffice to keep their dreams alive of reaching next year's World Twenty20.

Scotland made a perfect start when Dewald Nel trapped Maurice Ouma leg before with just five runs on the board.

Kennedy Obuya and new batsman Nehemiah Odhiambo did not let the set-back distract them and both opened their shoulders to launch into booming drives as Kenya ticked along to 27 for one off five overs.

Odhiambo did not last much longer, bowled by Gordon Drummond's first ball for a bright and breezy 11. Obuya was soon tracing his team-mate's footsteps back to the pavilion after he played on off Richie Berrington.

Steve Tikolo has not been at his prolific best this tournament but he showed a signs of a return to form with fours off Berrington either side of the wicket. Just as the veteran batsman was getting going, however, he was pinned in front for 19.

Kenya were reduced to 56 for five when Thomas Odoyo was strangled down the leg-side, Colin Smith taking a smart catch off Gregor Maiden's off-spin.

New batsman Ragheb Aga, who plays for Sussex, added some much needed impetus to the innings by pulling Drummond for a big six.

But he had little support at the other end. Rakep Patel, just 21, struggled when Blain was reintroduced and was yorked as he made room in an attempt to hit the ball through the off side.

Kenya slipped to 90 for seven when Jimmy Kamande chipped a simple catch to Watson off Nel.

Aga fell soon after for an entertaining 28, drilling a catch to Navdeep Poonia at long-off to hand Nel his second wicket of the over. He finished with 3-10 from four overs.

Peter Ongondo's monstrous six down the ground in the last over off Drummond, possibly the biggest strike of the tournament, helped Kenya reach 106 for eight at the close.

Scotland's response was tempered initially with Watson and Kyle Coetzer ensuring they did not lose an early wicket.

The skipper started to put his foot on the gas in the fourth over with a pull for four off Ongondo and a well-timed push through the covers for two. A sliced drive to the boundary off Odoyo in the next over took him to 20.

In contrast, Coetzer took a while to get going, finally cutting loose in the 11th over when he clipped Aga for a four off his legs, a shot he followed up with a pull over mid-on which bounced just over the ropes, sending two spectators ducking for cover.

Watson continued to play his shots at the other end, one sumptuous drive off Suji perfectly bisecting mid-off and extra-cover as Scotland reached 72 without loss in the 13th over. Coetzer replicated that exact shot moments later as the one-way traffic continued.

Coetzer then cracked two more fours off the returning Kamande to reach 41 not out, just six runs behind his captain.

Watson would reach his half-century first, off 54 balls, with a square-cut in the 16th over. The landmarks continued to fall - Watson's uppercut for four off Aga bringing up the first century stand of the tournament.

Scotland should have won by ten wickets but Watson chipped to mid-off trying to end the game in style.