Sri Lanka set to enjoy Edinburgh send-off

The World Cup finalists have been through much this summer but their last duty in the United Kingdom will be to play a one-day international on a pancake-flat wicket in the north of Edinburgh, where Scotland and Ireland yesterday shared 643 runs. In the world order, these are not renowned batting nations. But Sri Lanka are right up there with the very best, and in 2006 they travelled to Amstelveen for an ODI against the Netherlands and left with a world-record score of 443.

Reports of how the tourists have spent their days off in Edinburgh do not suggest a team in turmoil after the farce of Kumar Sangakkara being forced to resume his captaincy of the team during the Test series.

After Monday's washout of their match against Ireland they were guests of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society on Queen Street, and much of the squad spent yesterday visiting Edinburgh Castle, where captain Tillakaratne Dilshan was kitted out in full Highland dress.

They did not feel the need to train in Edinburgh after all their exertions in England, but news of yesterday's run-scoring bonanza must have had their master craftsmen licking their lips at the prospect of one last hit before heading home.

Australia made 345 here in 2009 and Ireland followed suit with 320 yesterday, before Scotland, who have traditionally made batting look as much fun as papering walls, retorted with an astonishing 323.

And Dilshan and Co will run amok today if the home bowlers fail to dramatically improve their accuracy.

The other challenge for a dramatically improved Scotland side will be coping with some of the most unique, awkward and unpredictable bowling the game has ever seen. Even with Muttiah Muralitharan enjoying a well-earned retirement, Lasith 'Slinger' Malinga and Ajantha Mendis provide an exquisite challenge to batsmen trained to combat orthodox opponents.

"In terms of their bowling, it's how every individual player wants to play them, and our guys will have their own plans - and hopefully they will work," said captain Gordon Drummond after yesterday's breathless five-wicket win over Ireland at a sun-kissed Citylets Grange.

"They are a bit unique but at the same time, you don't know who is going to play and I think all their bowling attack is pretty potent. I hope they do (play their strongest XI] because we want to play against the best teams in the world and pit your skills against them to see where you are.

"We haven't knocked over one of the Test teams yet, but we are three from three in the last three games and we'll take a lot of confidence from this win.

"You need to be firing on all cylinders to beat the Test teams and we can't get carried away, it's only one game, but we'll come down and look to match Sri Lanka in every department. Ireland have claimed a few scalps and it's about time Scotland did."Dilshan, whose emergence at the 2009 World Twenty20 included the introduction of a blind flick shot played from a crouching position to send a full delivery over the wicketkeeper's head, is their most explosive exponent of the kind of batting that is the scourge of modern bowling, which Paul Stirling and Richie Berrington demonstrated yesterday.

If Ireland's 20-year-old opener has lit up the game this year with his three one-day hundreds, Dinesh Chandimal is Sri Lanka's equivalent.

Another young buck possessed with a mighty blade, he was entrusted with the No 3 role during the ODI series which Sri Lanka lost 3-2 to England and passed the examination with flying colours.

In Berrington Scotland seem to have a player capable of flying rockets as well as driving haulage to its destination, but Kyle Coetzer has been so comprehensively impressive on his last two outings at Citylets Grange that he merits the highest respect from Dilshan's bowlers today.

Something of an outcast at Durham, the Aberdonian is now a firm favourite in the blue of his country after a number of years when it was difficult to gauge his commitment.

After a near-flawless fifty against England last summer, the 27-year-old opener made an unflappable 89 off 85 balls yesterday and, when the Irish claimed his wicket, they thought they had the pivotal prize.

They reckoned without Berrington's breathless cameo, but Coetzer is this team's classy kingpin.

"I can't say why he doesn't get a game for Durham but when you look at him batting like that, he's a phenomenal cricketer, and he adds so much to the team," said Drummond.

When they slid into Stockbridge on Monday morning to find a pitch weeping after a weekend of medieval rain, Sri Lanka cannot have imagined the conditions they would play in 48 hours later.

With the sun expected to shine as lavishly as it did yesterday, the ball will be treated with similar levels of disdain. The only trouble for Scotland is that Sri Lanka can bowl a bit, too.