Cricket: Scotland’s Gordon Drummond ready to get teeth into Tigers

DEFIANT Gordon Drummond is convinced the Saltires can rise to their biggest challenge of the season at The Hague in Holland today.

The Scots go into their T20 international against Bangladesh on the back of five straight CB40 defeats. But Drummond believes his lion-hearted men can tame a Tigers outfit who have leapt to fourth in the T20 world rankings.

The decision to cancel next month’s ODI against England means this is Scotland’s only crack at Test opposition this season and the skipper said: “This is the big one now. It’s a massive game for Scottish cricket and we are determined to claim the scalp of a Test team. I know recent results haven’t been what we wanted but T20 gives us a great chance to show what we are capable of.”

Bangladesh’s rise through the rankings follows last week’s whitewash of Ireland in a three-match series in Belfast and Drummond added: “We are under no illusions about the size of the task we face.

“Bangladesh are coming off the back of a successful series in Ireland and their confidence will be high. They are also already attuned to T20 conditions whereas we will have to quickly adjust from the 40-over format.

“Bangladesh are strong in the spin bowling department but we have batsmen who are capable of combating that threat.”

There was little evidence to back that claim during Sunday’s 88-run defeat to a Notts side which, like Bangladesh, featured three left-arm spinners. However, in Calum MacLeod and Richie Berrington, the Saltires had two of the top eight run scorers at the T20 World Cup qualifiers earlier this year.

Scotland have beaten Bangladesh since they became a full ICC member in 2000. However, that 50-over game at the Grange in 2004 had unofficial status.

The only previous T20 encounter between the sides resulted in a four-wicket win for the Tigers in a warm-up match for the 2009 World Cup.

Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that the Scottish Saltires’ Clydesdale Bank 40 fixture against Durham on 5 August has been moved to Uddingston.

Squad: G Drummond capt, R Berrington, C MacLeod, K Coetzer, G Goudie, P Mommsen, R Flannigan, J Davey, C Wallace, M Haq, A Evans, C Burnett, J Stander.