Scot & bowled: No.1 ranked England suffer stunning defeat from minnows scotland!
Scotland enjoyed the greatest victory in their cricket history by holding their nerve to beat world number one-ranked England by six runs in a thrilling one-day international at Edinburgh on Sunday.
Despite making a mammoth 371/5, thanks mainly to Calum MacLeod’s brilliant 140 not out, Scotland were in danger of defeat as England’s Jonny Bairstow took advantage of a good pitch and short boundaries at the Grange to make 105.
But a middle order collapse gave non-Test nation Scotland renewed hope. England rallied again, thanks to a 71-run eighth-wicket partnership between Moeen Ali and Liam plunkett.
But Paceman Safyaan Sharif sealed Scotland’s victory with seven balls to spark when he had No.11 Mark wood plumb lbw to spark a pitch invasion by jubilant home fans.
Scotland’s first win in international cricket over England came in their first match since they were cru-wlly denied a place at next year’s world cupafter a poor umpiring decision and rain saw them miss out in their final qualifier against the west Indies in Harare in March .
“I’ m lost for world , I don’t know what to say,” Sharif told Sky Sports.
“We’ve been waiting for this for so long. England are a brilliant side but scoring 371 against them means the world
The International Cricket Council’s decision to shrink the world cup from 14 teams to 10 had already been heavily criticised long before Scotland and their fellow associate or non-Test nations impressed with the quality of their play in Zimbabwe.
Asked tf Scotland had sent a message to the ICC with this win, sharif replied: “I’ m not going to say anything – they’ve seen it all today.”
This was an emberrassing reverse for 2019 World cup hosts England ahead of their upcoming five-match home one-day series against Australia and a reminder of how Eoin Morgan’s side have been undone in one-off games, such as last year’s Champions Trophy sei-final loss to eventual winners Pakistan in Cardiff.
“(Scotland) are a very dangerous side, I thought they played close to their best cricket today and we did’n’t,” said Morgan “It’s not the end of the World for us, it was a really good run out and good to have a practice coming into the series against Australia,” he added ahead of a five-match campaign that gets underway at The Oval on Wednesday.
Scotland’s total was their highest at total was their highest at this 341/9 against fellow no-Test nation Canada at Christchurch four years ago.
Bairstow set a record by becoming the first England batsman to make three ODI cetzer and Matthew Cross shara a century stand after Morgan won the toss.
SCORES
SCOTIAND 371/5 in 50 overs ( M. Cross 48, K. Coetzer c Billings 58, C. MacLeod 140*, G. Munsey 55, Rashid 2/72, plunkett 2/85) bt England 365 in 48.5 overs (J. Bairstow 105, A. Hales 52, M. Ail 46, L. punkett 47* , Watt 3/55, Evans 2/50, Berrington 2/67)
TEAM SPORTSNASHA
