Cricket: Saltires miss chance to stop the rot

SCOTLAND were last night left to rue a missed opportunity to forge their first win of this season’s YB40 campaign.

Matthew Cross loses his middle stump to Kabir Ali for six at Old Trafford yesterday. Picture: Getty

At one stage, the Saltires looked on course to continue their love affair with Old Trafford where they had won on their previous three visits. However, having laid the foundation for a total approaching 250, a late collapse saw them settle for 217-9 while handing the initiative to their opponents. Lancashire, on a run of four straight victories, gratefully accepted the reprieve, their opening batsmen quickly putting them in charge.

Stephen Moore and Ashwell Prince cautiously saw off the new-ball before opening out with a series of punishing strokes, the former leading the way with two boundaries in one Gordon Goudie over before launching a straight six into the sightscreen off Majid Haq.

Prince trumped that hit with an even bigger one into the top deck of Old Trafford Lodge as the Lightning openers brought up the 100 in the 15 over.

Both men reached half-centuries before Moneeb Iqbal trapped Moore for 53, the leg-spinner having a second success to remove Steven Croft.

The Saltires refused to throw in the towel and produced the game’s magic moment when Preston Mommsen held a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Karl Brown off Haq.

However, Prince was still there and the former South Africa Test player guided the county to a seven-wicket success with a beautifully-crafted 98 not out, featuring seven boundaries and two maximums.

Earlier, Mommsen opted to bat after winning the toss. However, the early signs were less than promising as Tom Latham’s disappointing start to his Saltires career continued.

The New Zealander had made just two when he carved purposefully at a wide delivery from Wayne White only to pick out Steven Kerrigan at third man.

The remainder of the power-play passed without alarm, Freddie Coleman and Richie Berrington each stroking a boundary as the total moved to 33-1.

They had taken it to 57 in the 12th over when Berrington got a thin contact with a Jordan Clark delivery and was caught behind.

The arrival of Calum MacLeod provided the Saltires with impetus, the former Warwickshire man scoring at a run a ball in the early stages of his innings and refusing to be dictated to by the bowlers. Coleman, meanwhile, was growing in confidence on his way to a second half-century of the campaign.

The pair added 90 in 16 overs before Coleman was trapped in front by Stephen Parry for 63.

MacLeod also went on to reach a half-century before spooning a catch into the leg side.

The fireworks were provided by Mommsen, who took advantage of the platform laid by his top-order colleagues with a sparkling 46 from just 38 balls. But the Scots lost their last six wickets for 24 runs and the momentum was back with Lancashire.