Scotland Lions go down by 38 runs to England U18s
The start of the match was delayed until 1 pm due to overnight rain and overcast conditions. Scotland Lions captain Moneeb Iqbal won the toss and elected to field and in the early stages the visitors found runs hard to come by as the home attack kept their discipline with good line and length.
They were rewarded when yesterday’s centurion Joss Butler of Somerset was snapped up by Gregor Maiden at point off Weeraratna’s bowling with only 27 runs on the board.
The introduction of Stewart Chalmers and Calvin Burnett into the attack saw the pressures continue to be applied with wickets falling at regular intervals as the visitors found runs hard to come by and the Lions were well in the match at 90 for 5.
However a 98 run partnership between Luke Perry and Michael Bates saw England Under 18’s retain the initiative with Bates out for 51 and Perry last man to fall with 82 runs to his credit as they closed on 230 for 9.
Scotland Lions opened with Gregor Maiden and Ryan Flannigan and they started cautiously against a hostile though somewhat wayward attack. With the partnership one short of fifty Maiden was first to go caught off the bowling of Dunn. Ewan Chalmers followed quickly thereafter trapped in front by James Vince, with the score on 59.
Flannigan and Omer Hussain then took the attack to the visitors with some lusty hitting before Flannigan perished caught on the square leg boundary with the score on 94.
Hussain continued to keep up with the run rate, but when he was out with the score on 114, the home side lost their way with a further three wickets falling for the addition of 9 runs, with skipper Moneeb Iqbal and Stewart Chalmers getting mixed up which resulted with Iqbal being run out, and Chalmers then followed his captain back to the pavilion the very next ball clean bowled by Ravi Patel.
From a potential winning position the Lions were facing defeat and only a last wicket stand of 53 between Marc Petrie and Calvin Burnett gave the score some respectability, as England U18s ran out winners by 38 runs.
Tomorrow (Thursday) is a rest day and Friday will see a Scotland Development XI take on the England Under 18s.
The Scotland Development squad is:-
Andi McElnea (Ayr)
Preston Mommsen (RH Corstorphine)
Freddie Coleman (Penicuik)
Fraser Burnett (Arbroath United)
Moneeb Iqbal (Greenock)
Andy Hislop (Clydesdale)
Zeeshan Bashir (Clydesdale)
Charles Legget (Carlton)
Ross Paxton (Watsonians)
Ali Farooq (Heriots)
Patrick Sadler (RH Corstorphine)
Ross Lyons (Carlton)
