Record partnership not enough to save Scots from defeat in Birmingham

• George Bailey shows his pleasure after hitting his maiden century for Scotland Picture: Donald MacLeod

Instead, the heroics of George Bailey and Richie Berrington, whose partnership of 198 was Scotland's highest against a county, were upstaged by Neil Carter who bludgeoned the Bears towards victory.

It was cruel on the visitors who must have thought they had done enough to claim a third county scalp of the season.

But Carter had other ideas and, after surviving a chance when he was dropped on two by Matty Parker, he raced to a punishing 81 from only 62 balls.

The big left-hander plundered 11 boundaries and three sixes in adding 101 in just 11 overs with Keith Barker.

Carter eventually holed out, attempting a reverse sweep off Ross Lyons while Barker, having made a rapid 40, went in the deep to the same bowler as the Saltires rallied.

Lyons picked up a third when he trapped Jim Troughton lbw and skipper Gordon Drummond had his counterpart Ian Westwood caught by Simon Smith.

Having pegged their rivals back to 156 for five, Scotland were in the contest but the rate of Carter's blitz meant Darren Maddy and Rikki Clarke had time to rebuild.

The experienced former England duo took few risks, instead picking the gaps in the field to rotate the strike.

Maddy stroked a masterful 74 before falling to Parker with the scores tied, while Clarke was unbeaten on 49 as the Bears secured a four-wicket win with three overs to spare, leaving the Scots to bemoan a missed chance.

Drummond's men had made one of their best starts of the campaign as Oli Hairs, making his first appearance against county opposition, helped Fraser Watts put on 51.

The Grange teenager was starved of the strike early on as Watts stroked three boundaries to get the scoreboard ticking.

There was an element of fortune about Hairs' first boundary, edged over the keeper's head off Carter. However, the hard-hitting left-hander showed what he is all about by lofting a six into the building site in Carter's next over.

Hairs had made 24 before swinging across the line to be bowled by Keith Barker, who also removed Watts for 26 with a slower ball which the batsman saw trickle on to his stumps.

The experiment of promoting Parker to No 4 failed to pay off when the Forfarshire batsman became Barker's third victim.

Suddenly the Saltires, having made a promising start, found themselves precariously poised on 69 for three.

However, Bailey and Berrington set about repairing the damage before inflicting plenty of their own in an extraordinary run blitz. The pair added their first 50 in ten overs, increased the rate to add the next 50 in two overs fewer and then went into overdrive.

The power-play yielded 44 runs while the final eight overs of the innings were bludgeoned for an astonishing 109. It was an indication of the extent to which Bailey accelerated that his first 50 came from 51 balls, yet he faced only a further 39 for his final unbeaten tally of 123.

The majority of the Tasmanian's nine boundaries and four towering sixes came during the final onslaught.

It was his highest score in a one-day fixture and he was matched virtually shot-for-shot by the brilliant Berrington whose 82 was his highest score against a county.

SCOTLAND

F Watts b Barker 26

O Hairs b Barker 24

G Bailey not out 123

M Parker c Johnson b Barker 1

R Berrington c Clarke b Barker 82

Extras (lb2 w9) 11

Total (for four, 40 overs) 267

Fall: 1-51, 2-67, 3-69, 4-267.

Bowling: Carter 8-1-52-0, Woakes 8-0-58-0, Clarke 3-0-31-0, Barker 8-1-33-4, Tahir 8-0-40-0, Botha 2-0-15-0, Maddy 3-0-36-0.

WARWICKSHIRE

V Chopra c Smith b Parker 2

N Carter c Watts b Lyons 81

K Barker c McCallum b Lyons 40

J Troughton lbw b Lyons 10

D Maddy c Lyons b Parker 74

I Westwood c Smith b Drummond 5

R Clarke not out 49

A Botha not out 0

Extras (b1 lb2 w4) 7

Total (for six, 37 overs) 268

Fall: 1-24, 2-125, 3-131, 4-143, 5-156, 6-167.

Bowling: Parker 7-0-35-2, Goudie 7-0-67-0, Drummond 6-0-58-1, Haq 8-0-51-1, Berrington 1-0-15-0, Lyons 8-0-39-3.

Warwickshire won by four wickets