NEW Zealand gave Aberdeen a generous christening as a one-day international venue yesterday but they were considerably harsher on Ireland, who will limp into today's battle of the Celts against Scotland licking their wounds.
Around 700 at a bright and breezy Mannofield saw England's tormentors in 50-over cricket continue where they had left off at Lord's last Saturday with an almost effortless demolition of Phil Simmons' patched-up Irish group. On a beautifully true wick
et they amassed 402 for two after being asked by Kyle McCallan to bat first, only the sixth instance of a national team reaching 400 in this form of the game.
Ireland could muster only 112 consolation runs in reply to lose by a one-day international record margin of 290.
This decimated squad from across the Irish Sea has only three survivors from the merry band who sent Pakistan home from the World Cup last year, and if their mood looked uneasy at 10:45, all expressions were hidden under caps by one o'clock. Brendon McCullum, a joy to watch, loomed as the chief architect of their dismay, celebrating his first ODI century and going on to post a monumental 166 from 136 balls, featuring ten sixes. But in the end his contribution was matched by James Marshall, who made 161 off 141 – with a comparatively modest tally of four clearances. Ross Taylor then swung his arms for a half-century off only 19 balls as blows continued to rain down on the pavilion roof and nearby sheds.
Any queries over how the Black Caps would approach this bottom-heavy triangular series, then, are redundant. On Thursday comes Scotland's unenviable opportunity to run the gauntlet, though it would be no surprise if McCullum has now earned his rest, with three senior players given the day off yesterday.
First, and of more pointed significance for Scotland, is today's reunion with a team who have had the best of recent head-to-heads. Apart from an incredible act of escapology by Scotland at the World Cricket League in Kenya, Ireland have beaten their near neighbours twice, and in far more routine fashion. But now they are forced by retirements, injuries and county contracts to field a virtual second string, and if Scotland don't get runs on this wicket against an attack so bereft of pace and experience, the missed opportunity will grate.
Not that Pete Steindl, Scotland's ultra-watchful head coach, would countenance that any swing in favouritism had taken place. "They're going to be a very tough team, a very competitive team, and they have a lot of new faces that we haven't seen a great deal, or anything, of," said Steindl at Mannofield yesterday.
"It will be interesting to see how it pans out. The simple fact was that New Zealand came out and did a great job at the start. They have international-class players, and Brendon McCullum has done this to good attacks all around the world.
"Any one-day international is a big game and it all counts towards our world ranking, so the outcome is very important to us. At the same time, we are building for the future and keeping an eye on the World Cup Qualifier next year."
Craig Wright's tragic habit of picking up injuries before major home internationals has struck again, ruling out the all-rounder with a back injury, but Steindl said that the potential heir to his role, Gordon Drummond, was recovering well after splitting a webbing between his fingers at the weekend.
With overnight rain forecast, Steindl said the selectors would wait until checking on conditions this morning before choosing between a two-pronged spin attack of Majid Haq and Glenn Rogers, or using Ryan Watson as the second slow bowler and playing both Drummond and the promising all-rounder Richie Berrington, who promises to give Watson's men an edge in the field.
Navdeep Poonia will bolster Steindl's squad for tomorrow's final match against the Black Caps, which Scotland will hope to go into with a chance, albeit slim, of securing a significant promotion. Should they avoid defeat to Ireland, then topple Daniel Vettori's world No 3s, they would become the 13th team to feature on the main one-day international rankings table.
Probable teams (Citylets Mannofield, 10.45am)
Scotland: R Watson (c), G Hamilton, C Smith (wk), F Watts, N McCallum, R Berrington, M Haq, J Blain, G Rogers, G Goudie, D Nel.
Ireland: R Strydom, G Wilson (wk), P Stirling, A Botha, A White, R Haire, A Poynter, K McCallan, G Kidd, P Eaglestone, P Connell.
The full article contains 773 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
