MacLeod leads Scotland to opening win

Scotland 256 for 3 (MacLeod 157*, Berrington 67) beat Afghanistan 255 (Nabi 92, Zadran 67, Wheal 3-36, Berrington 3-42) by seven wickets

Bulawayo: Calum MacLeod hit 157 not out as Scotland opened the World Cup Qualifier with a shock seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in Bulawayo on Sunday.

MacLeod and Richie Berrington, who scored 67, added 208 for the third wicket - a Scotland one-day record - as they chased 256 with 16 balls to spare.

Mohammad Nabi made 92 and Najibullah Zadran 67 in Afghanistan's 255 all out.

Two sides from the eight-team competition will qualify for the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

Former Durham and Warwickshire batsman MacLeod, 29, hit 23 fours and a six in his brilliant 146-ball innings, as he and Berrington rescued Scotland from 21-2.

Afghanistan, a Test-playing nation, are 10th in the International Cricket Council ODI rankings, while associate nation Scotland are 15th.

Scotland face Hong Kong in their next Group B game on Tuesday, before games against Nepal on Thursday and hosts Zimbabwe on 12 March.

Scotland played at the previous World Cup in 2015 and also participated in the 2007 and 1999 editions.