Scotland no match for Sri Lankan pace

Scotland's cricketers dared to dream of a first-ever win against a full member after a fighting display with the ball at the Grange, but were rapidly brought down to earth by a feisty Sri Lankan attack.

Buoyed by their victory over Ireland, the Scots restricted Sri Lanka to 284 for 7 at the break. That target was 36 less than they successfully chased against the Irish, but it was never in sight as Scotland collapsed to 101 all out in 32.4 overs.

The Grange pitch traditionally becomes easier to bat on in the afternoon, and Scotland again decided to insert the opposition after winning their second toss of this tri-series. It seemed a quixotic call as the Sri Lankan openers rapidly settled into their easy run-scoring ways.

Mahela Jayawardene was into his stride early, caressing a pair of boundaries off Safyaan Sharif's first over. He continued to guide and flick the ball around while Dimuth Karunaratne played the foil. His concentration lapsed on the first ball of the ninth over, which was Josh Davey's first, lofting the ball to mid-off where Gordon Drummond got under it. However the Scotttish skipper unaccountably let the ball slip past him and it fell to earth.

Jayawardene was on 38 then, and moved to fifty off the first ball of Richie Berrington's spell. The Sri Lankan guided a wide delivery to the cover point fence, and repeated the shot next ball. His fifty came up in 45 balls.

He finally fell in 20th over for 64, shortly after the 100 was posted, when he turned Majid Haq around the corner where Kyle Coetzer snapped up the catch. Tillakeratne Dilshan's recent struggles with the bat continued, and he edged to keeper Gregor Maiden for 6.

Karunaratne had been content to watch Jayawardene's masterclass, and didn't hit a boundary until the 13th over. The Colombo batsman, who made his debut in the fifth ODI against England, made his maiden international fifty before being out at 140 for 3. Haq switched to an over-the-wicket line and instantly provoked Karunaratne into lofting the ball to MacLeod at long on.

A succession of Sri Lankans came and went as Scotland successfully kept the middle overs tight. Preston Mommsen, who took 3 for 27 against Ireland, again worked his magic with 2 for 19 off four overs. Kandamby fell trying to lift him into the burger van, while Chandimal's dismissal was the softest of all. Mommsen tossed him up a flighted full-toss and, with a choice of places to despatch the ball he opted to return it to the bowler.

With ten overs to bat Sri Lanka were 198 for 5, and it took some belligerence from Lasith Malinga (32 off 15 balls) and Jeevan Mendis (34) to take the Sri Lankans to respectability. Calum MacLeod ran a full 30 yards at full pelt to take a diving catch to dismiss Perera, but Malinga took two sixes off the 49th over to ruin Drummond's analysis.

If Scotland's in-form batsmen had notions of victory, they were swiftly disabused. Lasith Malinga has had a poor trip to Britain, but was unplayable here. In the fifth over Fraser Watts mistimed to Jayawardene at cover, and two balls later Malinga demolished MacLeod's stumps. At 12 for 2 Scotland were reeling, and were rocked once more in Malinga's next over when Kyle Coetzer was far too late on another express yorker.

Middlesex allrounder Josh Davey looked uncomfortable but had reached 17 when Dhammika Prasad trapped him in front. Next ball lifted off a length and took the top of Tuesday's hero Robin Berrington's bat before ending in Chandimal's gloves.

The Scots slumped to 49 for 7 when Ajantha Mendis trapped Mommsen for 8. Gordon Drummond joined Majid Haq and the pair steered their side past Scotland's lowest-ever total of 68, before Malinga returned to york the captain. Haq made a battling 34 but Malinga's 5 for 30 was decisive.

Irish wins over Full Members are now in double figures, but their Celtic rivals must wait a little longer for their first.