Sri Lanka snap losing streak with Scotland win

LONDON: Sri Lanka snapped an eight-match One-day International (ODI) losing streak ahead of the World Cup with a 35-run win over Scotland in a rain-affected match in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

The Scots may not have qualified for the World Cup but last year beat tournament hosts and favourites England to prove they were well capable of causing an upset. Saturday’s opener had been abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain, but the teams had better luck with the weather second time.

Dimuth Karunaratne, the new Sri Lanka captain top-scored with 77 in a total of 322 for eight — just his second fifty at this level and first since he reached the landmark against Scotland on the same ground back in 2011.

It was one of three fifties on the innings, including opening partner Avishka Fernando’s maiden ODI half-century. But both batsmen men dropped off Brad Wheal, Karunaratne at first slip on 13 and Avishka on 22 at mid-off.

Karunaratne received a third life on 36 when Calum MacLeod couldn’t hang on to a sharp chance at midwicket off left-arm spinner Mark Watt. Sri Lanka pace bowler Nuwan Pradeep then took four wickets as Scotland slumped either side of being set a rain-revised target of 235, needing 103 off seven overs, and were bowled out for 199.

Scotland won toss

Sri Lanka

WIA Fernando c Munsey b Leask 74

*FDM Karunaratne c sub (Main) b Wheal 77

†BKG Mendis b Sharif 66

NLTC Perera c Cross b Wheal 0

AD Mathews c Leask b Sole 1

HDRL Thirimanne not out 44

DM de Silva c Sole b Watt 7

BMAJ Mendis c Munsey b Sharif 13

I Udana c Sole b Wheal 15

RAS Lakmal not out 12

Extras (lb 4, nb 2, w 7) 13

Total (8 wickets, 50 overs) 322

Did not bat: N Pradeep

Fall: 1-123, 2-204, 3-205, 4-210, 5-238, 6-258, 7-280, 8-301

Bowling: Wheal 10-0-49-3; Sharif 10-0-76-2; Evans 7-0-55-0; Sole 9-0-52-1; Watt 10-0-61-1; Leask 4-0-25-1

Scotland

†MH Cross c Fernando b Lakmal 55

*KJ Coetzer c Thirimanne b Pradeep 34

CS MacLeod b Pradeep 1

CD Wallace c BKG Mendis b Udana 18

HG Munsey b Pradeep 61

MA Leask c Fernando b Lakmal 8

TB Sole c Karunaratne b Perera 5

SM Sharif b Pradeep 0

MRJ Watt not out 8

AC Evans run out 1

BTJ Wheal run out 0

Extras (lb 3, w 5) 8

Total (all out, 33.2 overs) 199

Fall: 1-51, 2-52, 3-95, 4-153, 5-171, 6-189, 7-189, 8-191, 9-199, 10-199

Bowling: Lakmal 7-0-55-2; Pradeep 7-0-34-4; D de Silva 5.2-0-30-0; T Perera 7-1-46-1; Udana 7-0-31-1

Result: Sri Lanka won by 35 runs (D/L method)

Man of the Match: Nuwan Pradeep (Sri Lanka)

Umpires: David McLean (Scotland) and Gregory Brathwaite (West Indies). Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (India)