Ruthless Sri Lanka bring Scotland back down to earth with a thud

ONE day after a batting performance hailed by common consensus as the best by any Scotland side, a familiar cringe returned to Stockbridge as local aspirations were flattened by a ruthless Sri Lankan artillery.

Under what was, by Edinburgh's standards, searing heat, the World Cup finalists came along and started a bonfire. Aggressively is the only way they play. After a frigid innings by their standards, they brutally eliminated the promise of a famous upset as Scotland set out confidently in pursuit of 285 and ended up 184 short.

Worse routs have been witnessed. The Scots' lowest one-day international return remains 68, inflicted by the West Indies at the 1999 World Cup. Prior to Tuesday's astonishing events - the same Scotland XI hunted down Ireland's huge score of 320 to win with nine balls and five wickets to spare - you might have found short odds on them being found at 5pm buried in the same kind of rubble.

But Gordon Drummond's team scored so quickly and convincingly against Ireland that it was reasonable to believe they could get close to yesterday's target. It was also, in retrospect, nave.

Majid Haq had been here before. In 2003 he walked to the same wicket with the Scottish Saltires 32 for seven after a devastating blitz by Durham's Shoaib Akhtar, the deadliest fast bowler of his day.

That day Haq, the doughty off-spinner from Paisley, rode the storm and ended up scoring a half-century. So a sense of dj vu was inevitable yesterday when he arrived at the crease with Scotland on a pitiable 43 for six, and proceeded to put his level head to the task of restoring native credibility, top-scoring with 34 as the magical hundred mark was breached. Just. Scotland's batsmen were beaten for pace and guile and their lack of experience was found out by Sri Lanka's singularly deadly bowlers.

Lasith Malinga bowled a couple of duffers first up and then found his range and, before long, the coruscating force of nature with the corkscrew curls had three wickets. He would end up the day with five for 30, having already contributed quick runs.

The chief assassin did not work alone, though. Opening partner Bhammika Prasad was also wonderfully accurate and ended the resistance of Josh Davey, whose 17 made him the highest Scots scorer until Haq came along. Prasad then caught Richie Berrington's edge first ball, dashing any lingering hopes of a contest as it left the hosts 36 for five.

But in truth, the game was up when Malinga induced a false shot from Fraser Watts and then accounted for Calum MacLeod and Kyle Coetzer with his trademark yorkers. Those three scored a combined 174 runs on Tuesday and managed only 13 on Wednesday. By such margins is cricket's world order often divided. Two blissful days of sun-blessed cricket, three wonderful innings and a fourth that will go down in history as the black sheep. And it was a pity because Scotland were far better with ball in hand yesterday, and danced around the field after it whenever Sri Lanka broke the shackles.To confine these distinguished guests to 36 runs fewer than Ireland posted in the same conditions 24 hours earlier was a real feat, and if Malinga was an obvious man of the match, Haq stood out for Scotland.

Two for 53 off ten overs does not do justice to Haq's spell, which bewitched Sri Lanka's lesser players and won the respect of their master, Mahela Jayawardene, who immediately recognised the 28-year-old as a live threat.

Until then, the opener had been untroubled, easily taking Safyaan Sharif out of the attack. But he pushed and prodded at Haq and then succumbed to him, having hit 64 off 63 balls. Opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne went the same way after captain Tillakaratne Dilshan had continued his wretched run, feathering a catch behind off the endlessly impressive Davey.

Sharif judged a high catch well to make it 171-4, and Preston Mommsen was gifted a second wicket when Lokuge Chandimal patted a full toss straight back into his grateful grasp. Calum MacLeod's supreme effort to catch Angelo Matthews on the run earned the day's most appreciative cheer.

Was this Scottish cricket's first giant-slaying in the making? Any witness to Tuesday's game would have been reluctant to rule it out, but the handful of expat Sri Lankan families who warmly applauded both teams' exertions throughout the day probably knew better.

A total of 101 all out wounded the pride of an improving team who look well positioned to consign the past to trash and qualify for the 2015 World Cup.

But two days of high-class cricket under a hot sun did wonders for the game as a product. Cricket Scotland is still operating without a major sponsor after the withdrawal of Lloyds TSB. The players are beginning to make a point.Spare Page