Scotland beats Netherlands by an innings after McCallum's career-best 181 and Blain's eight-wicket haul

Neil McCallum scored a career-best 181 and paceman John Blain took eight wickets in the match to set up an innings victory for Scotland against the Netherlands with a day to spare in the ICC Intercontinental Cup match at Mannofield, Aberdeen on Saturday.

On a day when 17 wickets fell, the Netherlands, requiring 197 to make Scotland bat again, was bowled out for 138 in 45.3 overs after scoring 255 in its first outing. It meant victory for the home side by an innings and 59 runs.

Earlier, the home team had started the day at 277-3 and was dismissed for 452.

The victory gave Scotland 20 points and second place in the points table with 23 after two matches. Scotland had to settle for three points after only 46 overs were bowled in its opening match against the United Arab Emirates in Ayr in June.

Canada leads the field with 26 points from two matches while the Netherlands, which came from behind to upset Canada in the opener in Toronto, is third with 14 points.

McCallum, who started the day at 97, was the ninth Scottish batsman out after a magnificent innings spanning 423 minutes during which he faced 254 balls and hit 19 fours and three sixes.

Captain Ryan Watson, who resumed at 141 added only 13 runs to his overnight score before he was dismissed after hitting 21 fours and a six in his 225-ball knock. He occupied the crease for 270 minutes.

McCalllum and Watson, who joined forces after Scotland had slumped to 55-3, put on record 240 runs for the fourth wicket, surpassing the 176 posted by Colin Smith and Watson himself against Namibia last year.

After Watson's departure, McCallum put on 73 runs for the fifth wicket with Majid Haq, who scored 37 with the aid of four boundaries.

For the Netherlands, Mudassar Bukhari and debutant Somesh Kohli took three wickets each, conceding 70 and 123 runs respectively.

Facing a daunting task to avoid the innings defeat, the Netherlands succumbed once again to the pace duo of John Blain and Paul Hoffmann and was bowled out for 138 in 45.3 overs.

Blain, who has played county cricket in the UK for Northamptonshire and Yorkshire, followed up his 5-84 with 3-34 to finish the match with impressive figures of 8-118. Hoffmann played an effective support role picking up 3-33 to give him match figures of 5-78.

Mudassar Bukhari scored 34 and Greet Maarten Mol contributed 21 as Peter Borren's first match as captain ended in individual as well as collective disappointment. The man who led the Netherlands in the absence of Jeroen Smits managed innings of 13 and 12.

Scotland now travels to Belfast where it takes on arch-rivals and defending champions Ireland at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont from 9 August while the Netherlands meets Bermuda at the VRA ground, Amstelveen from 13 August.

Scores in brief:
At Mannofield, Aberdeen Scotland beat the Netherlands by an innings and 59 runs

The Netherlands: 255 (Tom de Grooth 98, John Blain 5-84, Paul Hoffmann 2-45, Dewald Nel 2-49) and 138 (Mudassar Bukhari 34, Greet Maarten Mol 21, John Blain 3-34, Paul Hoffmann 3-33)

Scotland: 452 (Neil McCallum 181, Ryan Watson 154, Majid Haq 37, Mudassar Bukhari 3-70, Somesh Kohli 3-123, Greet Maarten Mol 2-78)

The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception three years ago and now ICC's premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members' cricket schedule.

Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event has evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams which do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.

Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in both events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider and Canada earlier this year in the 2006-07 event.

The final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08 will take place in November 2008 at a venue yet to be decided.