{
  "id": 1670433,
  "title": "Scotland confident of ending 12-year World Cup drought, coach Dawkins backs 2027 qualification",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/scotland-confident-of-ending-12-year-world-cup-drought-coach-dawkins",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T08:23:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/scotland-confident-ending-12-world-082300570.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scotland's cricket coach Owen Dawkins expresses optimism about his team ending a 12-year absence from the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. The Scots have not participated in a World Cup since 2015, having gone without a win across all six matches in Australia and New Zealand that year. However, Scotland has made significant strides recently by qualifying for the 2027 World Cup Qualifier through their strong performance in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2. To secure a spot in the World Cup, Scotland must finish in the top four at the Global Qualifier scheduled to begin in early 2027. Dawkins, who assumed the head coach role at the end of last year, credits the team's batting lineup, including George Munsey, Brandon McMullen, and captain Richie Berrington, for their recent successes. The coach emphasizes the importance of One Day International (ODI) cricket and believes that achieving qualification for the World Cup would be a pinnacle achievement for the current squad. Dawkins welcomes the competitive nature of the team's selection, praising the standout performances of players like Fin McCreath, Richie Berrington, and debutant Lyle Robertson, while highlighting the collective skill levels and dedication of the entire squad.",
  "summary": "Scotland’s cricket team is inching closer to World Cup qualification following an impressive League 2 run. To secure their spot, they must achieve a top-four finish in the Global Qualifier. Coach Owen Dawkins is optimistic about the squad’s performance, highlighting their strong batting depth and recent individual triumphs as vital assets. For the players, clinching a World Cup berth would be an…",
  "key_points": [
    "Scotland cricket coach Owen Dawkins optimistic about ending 12-year World Cup drought.",
    "Team qualified for 2027 World Cup Qualifier via ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2.",
    "Dawkins credits strong batting lineup for recent successes."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}