Cricket: Saltires’ hopes are washed away at rain-lashed Oval

Scotland’S cricketers saw their hopes of stopping the rot in the Clydedale Bank 40 competition dashed when they fell prey, not to Surrey at the Kia Oval, but the weather.

Despite strong performances from Jean Symes who delivered 58 not out and Preston Mommsen who was still at the crease on 30 when play was abandoned the Saltires were left with just a single victory from their first seven matches of their 12-match campaign.

They had recovered from a perilous 46-4 to reach 124 after 23 overs when rain intervened and not even the Duckworth-Lewis method could save the match from going to the wall without a result. Surrey’s bowlers had put the Saltires in deep trouble early on with Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker taking three wickets, those of Calum MacLeod, Josh Davey and Craig Wallace – who went for a duck – and Murali Kartik one, that of Ewan Chalmers who found his return to the side to be an all-too short one.

The Watsonians batsman, who last took part in a CB40 match more than a year ago, was caught and bowled by the Indian star for ten.

Scotland return to CB40 action against Somerset on July 15 at Taunton and in the meantime will set their sights on the forthcoming internationals against Canada.