Matthew Parker in inspired form but Scots fall short

SCOTLAND, who had slumped to a miserbable seven-wicket defeat against Surrey on Sunday, put in a much improved performance in their Clydesdale Bank 40 match with Warwickshire yesterday but still ended up with another loss - by an agonising six runs.

Visiting seamers Matthew Parker and Gordon Goudie shared nine wickets as the Bears lurched to 118 for six following a century opening stand and then recovered to make 224 after Keith Barker's first half-century in one-day cricket.

Parker, who went with Sussex on a winter trip to South Africa, finished with five for 47, the best performance for Scotland against county opposition since Australian overseas player Ian Moran took five for 28 against Northamptonshire in 2006.

Josh Davey's 91 from 98 balls gave Scotland hopes of reaching their target but Darren Maddy claimed two top order wickets in his first nine balls and the required rate escalated out of range.

Needing 92 from the last ten overs, they could only reach 218 for nine despite Preston Mommsen's 42 from 44 balls in a stand of 104 with Davey, who was caught at deep mid-wicket after hitting six fours.

Three players were run out in a desperate bid to keep up the chase but the day will long be remembered for all the hardship heaped on Warwickshire's batsmen.

There was not a hint of trouble ahead as Varun Chopra's bandwagon rolled on during the three-figure start with William Porterfield. Even Parker and Goudie were muted as they conceded 42 runs in seven overs with the new ball.

The former Essex opener went past 700 runs for the season as he made 31 in his ninth innings in all competitions.

No one would have imagined what chaos would set in from the moment he got himself out, hoisting the second ball of Parker's second spell straight to Josh Davey on the deep square leg boundary.

Porterfield, well known to the Scotland squad after scoring two centuries against them when playing for Ireland, was looking set for another until he fell for 64, scooping up a return chance to Parker in the following over.

The medium pacer, who now plays his league cricket for Forfarshire, continued to wreak havoc.

Suddenly he had four wickets in 16 balls when Mohammad Yousuf shovelled another catch to Davey and Jim Troughton was taken at point.

Goudie took over from Parker and made it six wickets in the space of four overs from the new Pavilion End by bowling Maddy and Rikki Clarke.

Off spinner Mommsen accounted for Tim Ambrose, but luckily for Warwickshire they still had two all-rounders who were able to put on 66 for the eighth wicket.

Barker hit five fours in making 56 and Chris Woakes chipped in with 31 before Scotland's two destroyers had the last word.Barker was caught at cover from Parker's last ball and Goudie (four for 36) bowled Woakes and Maurice Holmes in his final over.