Scotland v England, 2014
Wisden's review of the only ODI between Scotland v England, 2014
15-Apr-2015
At Aberdeen, May 9. England won by 39 runs (D/L). One-day international debut: H. F. Gurney.
The wisdom of staging international cricket in Aberdeen in early May felt questionable when groundsman Ken McCurdie dislocated an elbow slipping on the saturated outfield while pulling a Super Sopper. But, if the ingredients seemed in place for England's new management team to begin with an embarrassment to rank alongside the recent loss to the Netherlands at the World Twenty20, their expedition to the world's most northerly international venue proved accident-free. Rain had threatened to wipe out the match altogether, before reducing it to 23 overs a side, then 20. To their credit, England were keen to get on the field, and the positive attitude of new coaching duo Peter Moores and Paul Farbrace paid off, despite Cook admitting he had never played a top-level match in wetter conditions. "I was in standing water at mid-off," he said. "It probably wasn't fit to play, to be honest." As Scotland chased their adjusted target of 173, it was a local who briefly threatened to add his name to the folklore of Mannofield Park, where Don Bradman made his last century in Britain. Michael Leask, a 23-year-old who had given up his job in an Aberdeen bank to take up a summer contract with Cricket Scotland, whacked five sixes in 12 balls, three off Tredwell - who still finished with a format-best four for 41 - and two off Bopara. But a leaping boundary catch at deep midwicket by Anderson intercepted a potential sixth, and ended Scotland's hopes. Earlier, Bell's lively 33-ball half-century took him past Alec Stewart into second place on England's one-day run-scoring list.
Man of the Match: M. A. Leask.
The wisdom of staging international cricket in Aberdeen in early May felt questionable when groundsman Ken McCurdie dislocated an elbow slipping on the saturated outfield while pulling a Super Sopper. But, if the ingredients seemed in place for England's new management team to begin with an embarrassment to rank alongside the recent loss to the Netherlands at the World Twenty20, their expedition to the world's most northerly international venue proved accident-free. Rain had threatened to wipe out the match altogether, before reducing it to 23 overs a side, then 20. To their credit, England were keen to get on the field, and the positive attitude of new coaching duo Peter Moores and Paul Farbrace paid off, despite Cook admitting he had never played a top-level match in wetter conditions. "I was in standing water at mid-off," he said. "It probably wasn't fit to play, to be honest." As Scotland chased their adjusted target of 173, it was a local who briefly threatened to add his name to the folklore of Mannofield Park, where Don Bradman made his last century in Britain. Michael Leask, a 23-year-old who had given up his job in an Aberdeen bank to take up a summer contract with Cricket Scotland, whacked five sixes in 12 balls, three off Tredwell - who still finished with a format-best four for 41 - and two off Bopara. But a leaping boundary catch at deep midwicket by Anderson intercepted a potential sixth, and ended Scotland's hopes. Earlier, Bell's lively 33-ball half-century took him past Alec Stewart into second place on England's one-day run-scoring list.
Man of the Match: M. A. Leask.