Saltires top order look to turn the tide

Published on Friday 16 May 2008 23:11

Hoffmann believes batsmen will shrug off inconsistencies against Yorkshire

PAUL Hoffmann has backed Scotland's batsmen to overcome their indifferent start to the season when they play host to Yorkshire Carnegie tomorrow.

The Saltires' upper order has struggled to find form in the Friends Provident Trophy campaign so far this year, particularly at the Citylets Grange.

However, former World Cup paceman Hoffmann is convinced the team are on the brink of turning the tide to help the hosts pose a real threat to Yorkshire when they arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow.

He said: "The bowlers have been performing magnificently, but so far they have not been backed up enough by the guys at the top end of the order.

"For some reason they have been nervous and unsettled when they have gone to the crease in our home matches against Lancashire and Durham and that has made them play rash shots they would not normally have attempted.

"The spate of soft dismissals does not in any way reflect the ability and talent of experienced players such as Fraser Watts, Ryan Watson and Neil McCallum. And I am sure they will get the psychological side of their job sorted out before they face up to the Yorkshire attack.

"They have not looked comfortable out in the middle and if a batsman is nervous the footwork will not be right; and when the footwork is wrong, the strokes are not executed properly. Our fellows must start believing more in their skill and judgment and when they get it sorted out in the head, everything else will slot into place."

Hoffmann, though, could not disguise his personal pride in the performances of his bowlers since the start of the season.

John Blain, Dewald Nel and former captain Craig Wright have kept the shackles on the big-name county batsmen in the competition so far.

And they were particularly dangerous at Old Trafford almost a fortnight ago when the Scots pulled off their third successive away triumph over Lancashire. Hoffmann said: "Though I have retired from the playing side of things with the Saltires, I am enjoying my involvement as a bowling adviser and an analyst. One of the reasons we have kept things so tight over the past few weeks is the amount of homework we have been doing.

"The preparations have been more thorough than ever before. We have been sussing out where to bowl at certain individuals, and the guys have then being doing the business out in the middle."

Nav Poonia has again been released by Warwickshire for the visit of Yorkshire. But Watsonians captain Gordon Drummond is still doubtful as he tries to shrug off a hamstring problem.

Scotland (from): R Watson (Forfarshire, capt), D Nel, S Weeraratna (both Greenock), J Blain (Rotherham), E Cowan (Uddingston), G Drummond (Watsonians), G Goudie (West of Scotland), G Hamilton (East Brierly), N McCallum (Grange), N Poonia (Warwickshire), G Rogers (Stenhousemuir), C Smith (Aberdeenshire), F Watts (Carlton).