England beats Scotland in rain-hit game

England beats Scotland in rain-hit game

Michael Leask, with a blistering 42 off 16 balls, can’t prevent Peter Moores’s side marching to 39-run win

England beat Scotland by 39 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in the only One Day International against Scotland at the Mannofield ground in Aberdeen on Friday (May 9).

Put in to bat, England made 167 for 6 after the match was reduced to 20 overs a side. Set a revised target of 173, Scotland could only manage 133 for 9, thereby conceding a 39-run win.

Scotland’s chase started off badly, as it lost both its openers to James Anderson by the end of the third over, with just 18 on the board.

Anderson was unlucky to miss out on a third, when Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland captain, nicked one to the wicketkeeper, only for Jos Butler to spill the chance.

Fortunately for England, Coetzer could not capitalise much on his second chance and failed to do much damage, departing for 8.

With Scotland on 46 for 3, out came Michael Leask, who led the recovery with a superb 16-ball 42. Leask’s knock, that was studded with two boundaries and five sixes, earned him the Man of the Match award and gave fans something to cheer about, after they sat through a five-and-a-half-hour delay. Leask was especially severe on James Tredwell, whom he carted for a four and a six off successive deliveries, before taking 17 runs in four balls off a Ravi Bopara over that included two sixes.

Leask’s blitz came to an end in the final ball of the 13th over, caught by Anderson off Tredwell’s off-spin bowling. Tredwell’s 4 for 41 in four overs were his best figures in ODI cricket.

Earlier, captain Alastair Cook (44) and Ian Bell (50) got England off to a good start, putting on 83 for the opening wicket. Bell was the first one to depart, when he was castled by Rob Taylor. His half-century, that came off 34 balls, contained four boundaries and two sixes. Bell was especially severe on off-spinner Majid Haq, whom he hit for a six and reverse swept for four, in the same over. He then struck a straight six off Rob Taylor, before the bowler had the last laugh just two balls later.

Cook carried on, adding 30 more with Eoin Morgan for the second wicket. Cook’s 47-ball innings was brought to an end, courtesy a brilliant diving catch by Calum MacLeod at long-off.

Morgan chipped in with a brisk 31, before Joe Root’s cameo of 17 off 6 balls towards the end helped boost the total.

England will play Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 International on May 20, before the two teams clash in a five-match ODI series, which will be followed by two Tests.