Scotland get their Intercontinental Cup campaign off to a winning start

Scotland last night opened their Intercontinental Cup campaign with a thrilling 29-run win over Canada in the Aberdeen sunshine.

Much had been made about the regular clatter of wickets on the opening two days of this scheduled four-day encounter, a combination of bad batting and good bowling ensuring that this match would conclude with a day to spare.

While the Scots went into yesterdays action hoping that the ball would continue to dominate, conditions were instead easier for batting than at any stage in the game and the Canadians made a real game of it with the highest innings total of the match.

However, the bowlers stuck to their task and some inspirational captaincy from Gordon Drummond, deputising for Gavin Hamilton, ensured that Scotland claimed a maximum haul of twenty points.

Drummond said: Im extremely proud to have captained the side in such an exciting game.

We were just delighted to get over the line in the end because Canada fought all the way and made it hard.

But our guys have shown tremendous character and we now want to look forward and build on this performance.

The early signs were encouraging as Calum MacLeod twice rattled the pads of Geoff Barnett in the first over only for his confident lbw appeals to fall on deaf ears.

Jan Stander, a hero with the bat on Friday, also bowled with venom as the Canadian openers struggled to get the board ticking.

They threatened to get into their stride when the powerful Barnett helped himself to three boundaries in quick succession.

The Canadians, though, suffered a double setback when first Barnett was forced to retire after going down in a heap with a back injury and almost immediately Stander made the breakthrough when he had the hesitant Trevin Bastiampillai caught behind by Ryan Watson.

Watson was enjoying his stint as stand-in wicketkeeper in the continued absence of the injured Simon Smith and he claimed his second catch of the day when MacLeod, having switched ends, found the edge of Qaiser Alis bat for three.

Sandeep Jyoti and Rizwan Cheema showed some resistance but Drummonds often inspired captaincy brought immediate reward when Richie Berrington ripped out Rizwans middle stump with his first delivery.

It was a significant success against the man who had top-scored in the first innings and has earned a reputation as a big-hitter capable of turning matches in his sides favour.

Berrington struck again 13 runs later, showing superb reflexes to take a sharp caught-and bowled chance to end Sunil Dhanirams short innings and reduce the Canadians to 60-4 at lunch.

However, a stand of 64 between Sandeep Jyoti and Khurram Chohan threatened wrest the initiative from the Scots as Canada produced their best batting of the match.

Jyoti, in particular, warmed to his task at one stage opening out with three boundaries in a single over from a startled Stander.

Such free-scoring had been rare indeed from either side but Jyoti and Chohan forced another change from Drummond which worked to Scotlands advantage.

Moneeb Iqbal has been a somewhat peripheral figure since his return from Durham and his first few deliveries, wayward in line and length, did little to suggest he might make a significant impact.

Yet, the leg-spinner also lulled his rivals into a false sense of security and the fourth ball of his first over drew Jyoti into a tentative push forward and Neil McCallum, diving at slip, took the catch.

With the partnership broken, Chohan followed soon after when he was adjudged lbw to Majid Haq before Iqbal bowled Umar Bhatti to put Scotland firmly in charge.

Canadas target - 110 runs from their last three batsmen  looked highly improbable in the context of such a low-scoring encounter but the Scots, chastened when Namibias last pair scored 50 for victory in this tournament last year, knew they could take nothing for granted.

The visitors, meanwhile, had clearly taken confidence from the efforts of Jyoti and Chohan with Ashif Mulla and Shaheed Keshvani joining forces in a second stand of substance.

They added 42 before Mulla was snapped-up at first slip by Ewan Chalmers to give Stander another wicket.

Canada, now requiring 68, were still in contention when opener Barnett returned to the middle to continue his innings with the aid of a runner.

However, when Keshvani was run out for 27, Drummond made his final successful bowling change and MacLeod obliged by bowling Barnett for the clinching wicket.

Drummond will hand back the captaincy to Hamilton for this weeks one-day internationals against the Canadians.
 

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Willie Dick Cricket Media Scotland