By Keith Graham
First day of three; Scotland (44-1) trail Australia A (265-5 dec) by 221 runs
AFTER their comprehensive one-day win over the Scots on Monday, the Australian tourists again looked in aggressive mood yesterday when they were asked to take first use of a slow, flat Boghall wicket but this time they did not have things all their own way.
While Matthew Hayden was at the wicket, the Scottish bowlers were certainly under pressure although James Brinkley, Asim Butt and Kevin Thomson all put in good, accurate spells.
Scotland's most effective bowler, however, proved to be off-spinner Nick Dyer in a sustained spell of 19 overs during which he captured four wickets at the economical cost of 48 runs and impressed the watching Northamptonshire coach and former England off-spinner, John Emburey.
Dyer's spell, which spanned both sides of an 80-minute stoppage for rain, was exemplary in that he kept the ball consistently up to the bat, demonstrated loop and at times turn, albeit slowly. But he also used the arm ball effectively.
None of the tourists was able to get on top of him, not even Hayden, who had opened with Ryan Campbell. They had added 67 before the wicket-keeper batsman went to pull Thomson, got a bottom edge and played on.
There followed a stand of 144 between the two left-handers Hayden and Mike Di Venuto at comfortably a run a ball as the Scottish seamers toiled.
Hayden made stately progress to a magnificent century and had gone on to 123 when, in Dyer's 11th over, having hit him straight for his second six of the innings and then driven him through the covers for four, he tried once more to loft him straight only for the ball to turn enough to find the outside half of the bat and spoon to cover. He had reached the boundary on no fewer than twenty one occasions in a superb display of aggressive batsmanship and had faced 139 balls.
Dyer also accounted for Di Venuto in similar fashion, luring him into the shot and again finding the outside edge for Mike Allingham to take the catch at extra cover. The Australian captain had reached 60 with the help of nine boundaries.
The off-spinner should have had a third wicket when he defeated an on-rushing Andrew Symonds in the air but Alec Davies missed the stumping opportunity. It was not an expensive error for the former Gloucestershire batsman, in Dyer's next over, was given out lbw sweeping.
And to round off a splendid spell, he then clipped Brendon Julian's leg bail to finish with the fine analysis of 19-6-48-4, at which point the tourists declared at 265 for five.
Although Bruce Patterson was trapped lbw by a late outswinger in Adam Dale's second over, Iain Philip, again looking in good form and finding the boundary five times in an unbeaten 27, together with Douglas Lockhart saw Scotland safely to the close with 44 on the board.
Details: Australia A 265-5d (M Hayden 123, M Di Venuto 60; N Dyer 4-48), Scotland 44-1.
Day 2: Stanger offers stubborn resistance
By Keith Graham
Second day of three: Scotland (241-8 dec) trail Australia A (165-5 dec & 169-1) by 193 runs
REFUSING to be overawed by an Australian team boasting in the region of a hundred Test and one-day caps, Scotland's batsmen turned in a staunch performance yesterday to enable their captain George Salmond to declare just 24 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 265.
The Australians, however, further emphasised their class by racing to 169 for 1 in just 160 minutes to establish a lead of 193 with Matthew Hayden again underlining his class with an unbeaten 88.
Resuming on their overnight total of 44 for 1, Scotland soon lost Iain Philip, caught behind off Adam Dale. Douglas Lockhart, however, dug in against some accurate bowling. He was four short of a half century when he went to sweep Brad Young only to get a top edge and sky to wicketkeeper Campbell.
Salmond and Mike Allingham were at ease against an attack which struggled for penetration on a slow wicket of even bounce. They had taken the score to 115 when the Scottish captain seemed unlucky to fall victim to an lbw decision, aiming Bichel towards midwicket.
Ian Stanger joined Allingham and together the fifth wicket pair took the score on to 171, Allingham always willing to use his reach to punch the ball in front of the wicket and Stanger letting the ball come on to nudge into the gaps.
The partnership was ended soon after Dale had returned to the attack when Allingham was adjudged lbw to the Queenslander stretching well forward. James Brinkley, only half forward, was similarly trapped next ball and Alec Davies provided Brendon Julian with his solitary success, edging meekly to gully.
But Kevin Thomson provided Stanger with excellent support, twice edging to the third man boundary, but also twice driving Young straight to the ropes. Stanger lost Thomson, well caught by Julian running back from slip, found a more than useful ally in Asim Butt and progressed to an excellent half century.
Scotland could be chasing a substantial total today but at least they had the satisfaction of dismissing Ryan Campbell through a superb catch at full stretch just in front of square by Stanger off Thomson. Hayden and Mike Hussey, however, were in menacing form, plundering a further 133 in as many minutes before the close.
Australia A 265-5 dec & 169-1 (M Hayden 88 no, M Hussey 55 no). Scotland 241-8 dec (I Stanger 52 no).
Day 3: Washout after Hills hits century
By Keith Graham at Boghall
Australia A (265-3d & 243-3d) drew with Scotland (241-8d & 33-2)
RAIN again intervened to further disrupt the Australian A team's tour of Scotland, bringing an early close to the final day of their three-day game against Scotland yesterday.
The Australians pressed on in no uncertain terms with Dene Hills [erroneously identified as Matthew Hayden in yesterday's report] needing only eight runs to complete his century.
Mike Hussey was also in a hurry, pulling James Brinkley over the mid-wicket boundary for six before lofting Kevin Thomson to square-leg where Douglas Lockhart held the catch.
Hills followed soon after when he got an inside edge to Brinkley for Alec Davies to take a fine leg-side catch. He had reached 110 off just 117 balls, hitting three sixes and 17 boundaries in the process.
Andrew Symonds maintained the assault with a rapid 33 and the declaration came with the tourists setting the Scots a target of 268 in a minimum of 83 overs.
They quickly lost Iain Philip to a catch at slip off the perservering Adam Dale and suffered a further blow when Lockhart was given out caught by the wicket-keeper, again off Dale.
Bruce Patterson seemed in confident mood but the rain which had been falling lightly became heavier and the match was abandoned at 2.45 pm, the two three-day 'mini-tests' thus both finishing without a result.
TOUR MATCH (Linlithgow).- Australia A 265-3d & 243-3d (D Hills 110, M Hussey 67, Thomson 2-52); Scotland 241-8d & 33-2 (Dale 2-5). Match abandoned as a draw.
SCOTLAND.- One-day squad: G Salmond capt, M Allingham, J Brinkley, A Butt, S Crawley, N Dyer, D Lockhart, B Patterson, I Philip, I Stanger, P Steindl, K Thomson.