Scotland vastly improved their run rate in Group B this morning with an 84 runs win over Papua New Guinea, but they are still outside the top five places needed to make the play-offs in Abu Dhabi next week.

Papua New Guinea, with the scalps of Ireland, in a warm-up game, and the Netherlands under their belts were expected to provide another tough game for the Scots, who had been hammered by Kenya in the previous game but after totalling 181 for five, their highest of the tournament, they restricted Kenya to 97 for nine.

PNG's most famous player, former England wicket-keeper/batsman Geraint Jones scored only five before he was the first of three wickets for Rob Taylor, and Gordon Goudie then rammed home Scotland's advantage with three more including top scorer Jack Vare.

The Scots only disappointment was allowing PNG's last wicket pair to bat out the final two overs. At the start of the day, Richie Berrington and Calum MacLeod put on exactly 100 in 11 overs with the latter the first to go for 58 from 40 balls with five fours and three sixes.

Unfortunately, Berrington followed in the next over for 43 and it needed Matt Machan with 44 from 25 balls to maintain the momentum.

Scotland have just two matches left to improve their position and it looks as if they will have to beat the Netherlands on Friday as well as Denmark on Sunday to ensure themselves a top five place in the group.

If they can play in the same vein as today, that is a strong possibility despite their slow start to the tournament.