The best young talent in Scotland will be in action as the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup Europe Qualifier takes place across Angus.

Scotland will take on Denmark, Guernsey, Jersey, the Netherlands and Sweden, vying for one qualification spot at January’s World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The 14-player squad will be led by Forfarshire’s Thomas Knight, and features two players who were involved at the 2024 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in Rory Grant and Manu Saraswat.

The Scots get underway next Thursday (July 31) against Sweden at Lochlands, home of Arbroath United, with Forfarshire and Strathmore also hosting matches.

Scotland Men’s U19s celebrate a victory over Ace Academy last week as they warmed up for the World Cup qualifier (pic: Cricket Scotland)

placeholder image — Scotland Men’s U19s celebrate a victory over Ace Academy last week as they warmed up for the World Cup qualifier (pic: Cricket Scotland)

Scotland Men’s U19 head coach, Keegan Russell, said: “It’s a huge opportunity heading into the World Cup Qualifier. The boys are really excited to get going, but we’re also clear that it’s going to be a tough tournament, and the standard of cricket will be very high.

“Being able to play at home is something we’re looking forward to, we’re used to the conditions and suit the cricket we want to play – and it will be great to get a good home support down to get behind the boys.

“The preparation has gone well so far, and I feel like we’re hitting our straps nicely. We’ve still got work to do, but we’re happy with the trajectory of our performances and the progress that the group are marking.

“I’m pleased with the balance of the squad that we’ve selected, the roles we have covered throughout the 14, and also the dynamics in the group both on and off the field.

"A big focus for us has been the culture we can build in this team, right from the pre-season camp in Millfield, and it’s been great to see the strong culture that the boys have been instrumental in developing.

“It’s good to have Manu (Saraswat) and Rory (Grant) still involved having been in the group in the last cycle.

"It’s invaluable having that experience, but we know there’s 14 boys there that can all do a job and make big contributions in the qualifier.”

Scotland schedule – July 31: vs Sweden (Arbroath United), August 1: vs Jersey (Forfarshire), August 3: vs Guernsey (Strathmore), August 4: vs Denmark (Arbroath United), August 6: vs Netherlands (Forfarshire).

For the full fixture list see p29