Cricket: Ex-Scots cap says visitors could face a testing wicket

But, at the same time, Brown, who also represented England and is now academy director at the Warwickshire club while proving an astute BBC cricket summariser, warned of the dangers throughout the visiting ranks.

"Let's face it, you don't reach a World Cup final, as Sri Lanka did earlier this year (losing to India], without being a very, very good side" said the ex-Clackmannan ace, who coached Namibia at the 2003 World Cup.

Brown, pictured right, added: "But the conditions just might be such that Scotland could exploit them a little bit. We have seen Sri Lanka struggle in difficult conditions with the ball nibbling around.

"In times like that they have looked a little bit stage-struck, even allowing for England having a good seam attack.

"I'm not saying Scotland should prepare a green wicket but conditions might just play into the hands of a home team who just need a couple of batsmen or bowlers to have their day and an upset could happen. The difference between the sub-continent and here is that the ball spins and doesn't really bounce and carry so much.

"Scotland play a lot of cricket now and it is time to take a step forward the way Ireland have done. They should go out and give everything they have got."

Brown played in the last Scotland team to confront the Sri Lankans, which was a World Cup warm-up match in Barbados over four years ago. Fraser Watts, Neil McCallum and Majid Haq of the current squad played when they went down by 159 runs chasing 294-7.

And, although both sides have moved on, memories exist of the depth and quality at Sri Lanka's disposal.

"Obviously, Sri Lanka are a very strong side with strength in depth. In the batting line-up there are guys who get set at the top of the order and go on to get big runs. That allows the stroke players to bat around them.

"They also have exceptional bowlers including the spinner Suraj Randiv, who took five wickets in the last one-dayer with England.

"There's also (Lasith] Malinga who can bowl up front and at the death. He can close things out very well." Malinga is the only bowler to have taken wickets with four successive deliveries at international level. Brown added: "He can be so awkward the way he makes the ball do things, including swinging it up front.

"(Kumar] Sangakarra is world class and (Tillekeratne] Dilshan is always very exciting.

"But don't forget Scotland have some disciplined bowlers and it is going to be a great occasion, as always, at the Grange."

Despite losing both a Test and one-day series in England, the Sri Lankans headed to Edinburgh for a tri-series which continued today with Scotland facing Ireland in good heart, according to skipper Dilshan, who says: "In the last two months we've played some good cricket. We lost the Test series in one hour and again in this one-day series we lost three matches in about the first six overs of our batting. I think we can be a much better side than that."

One of the tour successes has been Angelo Matthews in building on an innings of 77 when Australia were beaten in Brisbane, and the skipper referred to him, saying: "We had a big issue in the last three or four years with the middle order not doing well. The top order was always getting runs but now we have more confidence in the middle order and that is good for the future."

Matthews was hailed this week in the Sri Lanka media as a "captain in waiting" and Dilshan added: "He (Matthews] has shown in the past he can finish matches, like in Australia."

YESTERDAY'S opening Tri-Nations match between Ireland and Sri Lanka was cancelled after the Grange pitch failed to recover from the heavy weekend rain.