Scotland Cricket: The 2016 World T20 Upset and a Nation's Cricketing Journey

Scotland's cricket history is longer than most people realise — the country's first cricket club was founded in the 1780s — but it is as an associate ICC member competing on the global stage that Scotland has generated the headlines. Scotland gained ODI status and has regularly competed in ICC qualification events and global tournaments.

The 2016 World T20 Upset vs England

Scotland's most famous moment came at the ICC World Twenty20 2016 in India, where they faced England in a qualifying round match. Scotland restricted England to 171/4 and then chased it down with a superb batting display to win by six wickets in what stood as one of the greatest upsets in T20 World Cup history. Scotland's Matt Machan was the hero with the bat.

Structure of Scottish Cricket

Cricket Scotland governs the game in the country, running national teams at senior and age-group level. The Saltires (Scotland's professional team) compete in domestic competitions against the counties. The game is most popular in the eastern lowlands — Edinburghshire, Fife, and the Borders have the strongest club cricketing traditions.

Key Players

Kyle Coetzer captained Scotland for many years and was the side's most consistent batsman. Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, and Josh Davey have also made significant contributions. The backbone of the team are players who combine professional domestic careers with representing their nation in ICC events.