Kyle Coetzer’s superb 156 could not prevent Scotland losing to Bangladesh and being eliminated from the World Cup with two Pool A games still to play.
Coetzer’s 134-ball knock, studded with 17 fours and four sixes, is the highest score by an Associate player, and set up a healthy total of 318 for eight at the Saxton Oval in Nelson.
However, Tamim Iqbal’s 95 and smaller fifties from Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, the latter’s unbeaten, took the Tigers to victory with six wickets and 11 balls to spare.
Bangladesh therefore moved to five points in Pool A, three ahead of England whom they play next at the Adelaide Oval on Monday in the first of two matches that Eoin Morgan’s side must win to have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Even if England are victorious in that contest, they will likely have to rely on New Zealand beating the Tigers on Friday week, the same day they face Afghanistan.
That scenario is in part due to Bangladesh making their record one-day international chase today.
They had to do so without regular opener Anamul Haq, who suffered a shoulder injury during Scotland’s innings and was unable to bat.
When Anamul’s replacement at the top of the order, Soumya Sarkar, was caught behind down leg off Josh Davey in the second over of the reply, Scotland looked favourites.
However, Tamim and Mahmudullah, promoted to three, confidently responded with a stand of 139 during which the former passed 4,000 ODI runs.
Mahmudullah was unlucky to depart in the 24th over, for 62, when he moved to leg to create room but he freakishly played on off the toe of his boot.
By reaching 88 Tamim became Bangladesh’s highest scorer in a World Cup game, but he was soon lbw to Davey following a fifty partnership with Mushfiqur. The skipper sped to 60 from 42 deliveries before holing out to long-on off Alasdair Evans.
If that renewed Scotland hope, Shakib and Sabbir Rahman snuffed it out with 52 and 42 respectively, both at better than a run a ball, in an unbroken stand of 75.
Kyle Coetzer's Wagon Wheel from his associate record breaking #cwc15 knock of 156 WATCH http://t.co/CSiIcr2ptF#cwc15pic.twitter.com/H7MTXClwOR
— ICC (@ICC) March 5, 2015
Coetzer, whose only previous ODI ton was 133 versus Afghanistan in 2013, lost Calum MacLeod and Hamish Gardiner in the mandatory powerplay.
The Northants batsman then added 72 with Matt Machan, who was caught and bowled for 35 by Rahman.
Soon after, Coetzer went to his half-century from 54 deliveries. By passing 76, he hit Scotland’s best World Cup score.
In launching Rubel Hossain for six over long-on, he raised a 103-ball ton while dominating a stand of 141 with captain Preston Mommsen, who contributed 39.
Moving from 100 to 150 took Coetzer just 26 deliveries, and he eventually holed out to deep midwicket in the 45th over off Nasir Hossain.
Richie Berrington and Mathew Cross indulged in some big hitting to lift Scotland past 300.