THERE have been several damp squibs at the Citylets Grange in recent seasons, most induced by the weather. But yesterday, in glorious spring sunshine, the Scottish Saltires proved themselves masters in the dark art of anti-climax.
There had been a heightened sense of anticipation as a star-studded Lancashire Lightning, including Andrew Flintoff, arrived in the capital at the start of a new Friends Provident Trophy campaign.
With a new coaching team at the helm, hopes wer
e high that Scotland might even repeat their heroics of last year when they outplayed the Red Rose county at Old Trafford.
Instead Ryan Watson's side produced one of their most inept batting displays of recent times en route to a record low total and a heavy eight-wicket defeat.
To heighten frustration for a larger-than-normal Grange crowd, Flintoff was called on to play no more than a cameo role amid the carnage.
The rot set in early as the visiting bowlers, taking first use of helpful conditions when skipper Stuart Law won the toss, seized the initiative.
Ed Cowan, fresh from blazing a superb 163 for Uddingston, soon discovered that James Anderson is a little more threatening than anything the Poloc attack had to offer 24 hours earlier. Almost yorked by the first delivery of the match, the New South Wales recruit was dismissed four balls later when the England bowler produced one which swung wickedly to take out off stump.
Ryan Watson was next to go when he nibbled at a Glenn Chapple delivery and was snapped up by the first of Luke Sutton's four catches. Fraser Watts, another Saltires player in form after a century for his club, clipped Chapple to the square leg boundary as the Scots briefly threatened to get the score moving.
Instead the Carlton opener got a little greedy in attempting a second run and was a metre short when Gareth Cross threw down the stumps.
Three down quickly became six as the home side reached a nadir on 24-6 with Colin Smith, caught behind off Anderson, Gavin Hamilton, suicidally run out, and Neil McCallum, also caught behind off Tom Smith, all back in the pavilion.
John Blain and Majid Haq then added 21 runs before the former was adjudged lbw to Steve Croft and Scotland's run out misery returned when Gordon Drummond departed for a single following a mix-up with Haq.
A partnership of 24 between Haq and Dewald Nel advanced the total to 71 before Haq, having reached 23, was trapped in front by Tom Smith, who completed a haul of 3-14 when he had Nel caught behind.
The Saltires' total of 73 was one fewer than their previous lowest in English cricket's premier one-day competition, against Kent in 1987.
Lancashire's reply received two setbacks when Nel had Mal Loye well caught by a diving Smith and Gareth Cross was snapped up by Watson to bring Flintoff to the crease.
Eager to win back his place for the first test against New Zealand next month, the big all-rounder survived a scare when he edged Nel over the slip cordon. But he greeted Gordon Goudie with two imperious boundaries as Lancashire eased towards their target.
Flintoff saved the best for last, clinching an eight-wicket win with a glorious straight six off Nel which cleared the perimeter wall at the nursery end.
Pete Steindl, the Saltires coach, made no excuses for the performance but admitted his side would have preferred to bowl first. He said: "At the end of the day the toss is 50-50 and you've got to be ready to bat and bowl. We would have loved to have bowled first up but that wasn't to be.
"A couple of the wickets up front were down to good deliveries but the run-outs were crucial and that is something we have to work on. Results are results and we just have to learn from this and bounce back."
The Saltires travel south next Sunday to face Derbyshire at the County Ground before they get the chance for quick revenge against Lancashire at Old Trafford the following day.
The full article contains 703 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
