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Easy win for Austria not enough
AUSTRIA started the day in third place but even victory in their last game against Slovenia by eight wickets, 38 minutes before lunch, was not quick enough to give them a chance of winning the tournament.
For the first time this week Slovenia won the toss and got the chance to bat first but their batsmen were still found wanting. Captain Mark Oman faced 18 balls for one run but he was second out in the fourth over and with Tom Furness, top scorer against Finland on Saturday, not playing, the Austrian bowlers were always on top.
They found wickets hard to come by and although Slovenia were bowled out for 72, they used up 40.1 overs. Five of the six bowlers took wickets but none took more than two although Ranga Peiris was taken off with figures of one for five from five overs.
Only two Slovenia batsmen reached double figures - just, Brad Eve (10) and Egon Jafofcic (11). Austria went for the modest target from the first ball and duly lost two wickets in the opening over, the first a run out off a wide! But Laxmal Kasthuriarachchige with 19 from 16 balls played the anchor role to Amar Naeem’s whirlwind 51 from just 24 balls with five fours and his third six won the match.
Defeat condemned Slovenia to Division Five cricket next time and they will be hoping the drop in standard will allow them a taste of victory in 2011.
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