SCOTLAND'S preparations for the biggest cricket match in their history could be left in tatters as rain threatens to engulf the first of two one- day internationals with Kenya today.
The Scots take on Kevin Pietersen's England in Edinburgh next Monday, but they are unlikely to get the crucial match practice they need in Ayr over the next two days, having already seen a four-day game against the Kenyans washed out.
The Cityle
ts ground at Ayr was still recovering yesterday from the west-coast weekend deluge that left the players twiddling their thumbs at Titwood. And the Met Office is forecasting steady rain in Ayrshire between 10am and 7pm today – precisely when an ODI would take place.
Scotland team manager Jim McClymont said of the Ayr ground: "It's in reasonable condition. I think that's all we can say. They've had the same amount of rain as we have had in Glasgow."
The prediction for tomorrow is rain followed by afternoon showers, so perhaps the best the teams can hope for is a reduced-overs encounter on day two. It is a wretched outlook for players who were hoping to play their way into the team for Monday by impressing against the 2003 World Cup semi-finalists.
Ross Lyons has been picked ahead of Majid Haq to allow him to stake a claim for the main spin-bowling position, while former Scotland captain Craig Wright has been hoping to prove his fitness this week after a month's lay-off with back trouble. Warwickshire all-rounder Calum MacLeod is also in line to make his ODI debut.
Left-arm spinner Lyons has not played an ODI in 18 months and said yesterday: "It feels great to be back involved. Fingers crossed I will stay in the squad for the England game, but it would help a lot if we could get some match practice against quality opposition. Kenya are a good one-day international side who know how to bat.
"We had a nightmare four days at Titwood, doing absolutely nothing and then watching the sun shine on Sunday without being able to go out and play. But that's what happens in the west of Scotland."
Meanwhile, Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith has hit back at a suggestion by captain Ryan Watson that all games should be played on the marginally drier east coast. After four days of misery in Glasgow, Watson had understandably lost sight of the bigger picture, and yesterday Smith ruled out going back on the governing body's promise to take the game around the country.
"We couldn't have played at Grange because it was too wet and all the stands were going up for the England game, and I don't believe they would have got four days' cricket played if the game had been in Aberdeen," stated Smith.
"Our stated policy is to rotate games around the country and that won't change. Ryan is entitled to his opinion. We will continue to do what we do when we come to arrange next year's fixtures.
"Grange is our premier venue and then we are committed to playing games in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Ayr because we have four ODI-accredited venues."
Scotland (v Kenya at Citylets Ayr, 10.45am): R Watson (capt), G Hamilton, Q Sheikh, C Smith, F Watts, N McCallum, R Berrington, J Blain, D Nel, C MacLeod, G Drummond, R Lyons, C Wright.
