England stunned by Scotland as hosts hold on for six-run victory in thrilling ODI
Having posted a massive 371 with the bat, Scotland held their nerve in the field and with the ball to clinch a thrilling game in dramatic fashion with just seven balls of the match remaining
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Your support makes all the difference.Scotland have created history by pulling off their first-ever win against England in a truly gripping and emotional contest at The Grange.
This was meant to be a routine match for an England side who have climbed to the top of the world rankings after three years of stunning progress in one-day cricket.
But they have somehow found themselves on the end of one of the most embarrassing results in the history of English cricket against a team who have not even qualified for next year’s World Cup and are ranked 13th in the world.
Eoin Morgan’s side, who have won six successive ODI series, were favourites for that tournament on home soil before this calamity.
But after a diabolical bowling display that left them chasing 372 to win, England were bowled out for 365 to fall short in the penultimate over of their chase.
Scotland were powered by a brilliant unbeaten 140 in 93 balls from Callum Macleod.
Yet England had looked good to pull off what would have been their record one-day chase thanks to the flying start they were given by Jonny Bairstow’s third successive hundred in this format.
It was a collapse of 5-56, though, midway through the innings that ultimately cost them.
Having earlier lost his opening partner Jason Roy for 34, Bairstow had led his team to 165 for two in the 18th over by the time he was caught brilliantly in the deep off the bowling of Richie Berrington.
However, it was the run-out of Joe Root that proved crucial. England were cruising on 220 for two before Alex Hales called for a non-existent single after Root had sent the ball down to short fine leg.
England’s Test captain was caught out of his ground following a sharp throw from Mark Watt.
The wicket was a sloppy one to give away. Yet with 152 runs needed off 23 overs, England were still the overwhelming favourites to win.
Hales soon reached his 50 off 52 balls to partially make up for his part in Root’s demise.
But the wickets kept falling. Morgan had looked in fine touch as he reached 20 from 15 balls. But he played a loose shot to Alasdair Evans and was caught at short midwicket by Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer.
That left England 245 for four and they were five down the very next ball when Hales inexplicably hit Berrington straight to point.
Sam Billings, sending a Watt full toss short midwicket, and Willey, edging Evans behind, then departed to leave Morgan’s men 276 for seven - still needing 96 to win from 13.3 overs – and staring at a humiliating defeat.
It was left to Moeen Ali, the last recognised batsman, to shepherd his team home but 25 were still needed to win from 27 balls when he holed out to Watt to end a 71-run stand with Liam Plunkett that had revived England’s hopes.
Plunkett, on 35, was joined at the crease by Adil Rashid. But with 11 needed from the final two overs, Rashid was sensationally run out by Macleod to send The Grange wild.
The atmosphere of anticipation then exploded into ecstasy four balls later when Safyaan Sharif trapped Mark Wood lbw.
Despite Scotland’s joy, you had to feel for Bairstow, whose 54-ball hundred was the third-fastest for England in this format.
He also became the first Englishman to score three successive one-day centuries following his hundreds against New Zealand in Christchurch and Dunedin back in March.
Significantly, it was also Bairstow’s fifth since moving up to the top of the order on a permanent basis last September.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara holds the record for four successive ODI centuries and Bairstow will fancy his chances of equalling that feat when England host Australia at The Oval on Wednesday.
England will certainly need to play better than this if they are to win that five-match series.
But nothing should be taken away from a Scotland team who had their own record-breaker in Macleod. The 29-year-old’s brilliant unbeaten century helped the hosts post their highest ODI total. It was also the first century by a Scotland player against England and, bringing up three figures in 70 balls, the fastest for his country in ODIs against anyone.
Macleod is currently playing for Hampshire’s second XI and Bexley Cricket Club in Kent having once been on the books of Warwickshire and Durham. But there may be a few counties looking into acquiring his services after this knock.
Scotland, powered early in their innings by a century opening stand between Coetzer and Matthew Cross, can be proud of how they brought the world’s No1 team crashing down to earth.
England were clearly missing the injured Chris Woakes, now the leader of their one-day attack, and all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has torn a calf muscle.
Despite everything, though, this result against an Associate nation was still embarrassing for them.
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