Blain quick to deliver upbeat assessment

THE Saltires are still searching for their first home Friends Provident Cricket Trophy win since 2006 after a 46-run defeat by Durham Dynamos in a match curtailed by bad light.

But a sterling man-of-the-match performance from John Blain ensured the Scots did not go unrewarded and afterwards the strike-bowling ace, while acknowledging overall batting frailty, insisted there was much to build upon.

Referring to how Durham had been restricted to 181-9 from their 50 overs before the Saltires were left stranded on 52-5 from 17 overs to miss out under the Duckworth/Lewis calculation for deciding results Blain said: "I thought we bowled superbly and if we had kept wickets in hand it might have been interesting.

"Our fielding was tight with very few extras (ten) conceded.

"It was our best fielding performance for a long time."

Blain was at the heart of the Saltires' efforts, returning figures of 3-31 off a full ten-over stint, and it was clear his contributions hadn't finished because he was at the crease when stumps were drawn. But, frustrating though the situation may have been, Blain was not inclined to argue the umpire's decision and with good reason. He was at the other end when Gavin Hamilton was struck on the head by a delivery from Callum Thorp though fortunately recovery appeared swift.

That Thorp was not even the quickest of the Durham bowlers, that distinction falling to England internationalist Steve Harmison, rang warning bells for the umpires and Blain explained the situation, saying: "Visibility was not ideal especially with Steve Harmison sending them down from just above the height of the sight-screen against a background of flowering trees.

"The decision to come off was taken out of the batsmen's hands and somebody could have sustained a serious injury.

"It was difficult to see the ball. You could understand the decision."

Any analysis of the Scottish batting has to be set against the deteriorating light although, in truth, they appeared to be struggling from the off as old failings returned.

Skipper Ryan Watson, who fell in the same over that he had dispatched Ben Harmison for two boundaries across a slow outfield, did not shirk general shortcomings, saying: "We know we have to work on our batting, it's something we are aware of.

"We just need a couple of partnerships at the top end although there were a couple of soft dismissals although they might have been a little bit down to the wicket."

But Watson, too, offered some positives, adding: "It was good to get young bowlers Gordon Goudie (20) and Sean Weeraratna (22) introduced and bowling superbly. We are going to need extra depth with qualifiers (for the World Cup) ahead.

"They kept McKenzie and Harmison well under wraps."

So, on a day when only Fraser Watts (15) and Watson (14) got into double figures among the home batsmen it was the bowlers who took the plaudits led by Blain who summed up his individual accolade for the dismissals of Kian Coetzer, Gary Park and Ben Harmison, saying: "It's always nice to get recognition especially when it comes after putting some hard work in over the winter."

Encouragingly against a decent Durham batting line-up even without Test star Paul Collingwood other Scots also excelled.

Young Weeraratna, for example, bowled a full stint for 38 runs picking up the last wicket to fall – Callum Thorp.

Another to make the most of the heavy atmosphere was Dewald Nel and if Gordon Goudie lacked reward it was noted that his economy was extremely sound. Nel claimed a notable double in England pair Harmison and Phil Mustard in bowling his ten overs for 42 runs while Goudie's spell cost just 30 runs.

On top of that Glenn Rogers, one ball after being smashed for six by world record holder Neil McKenzie (a 415 run partnership with South Africa captain Graeme Smith over the winter), had the guile to give his next deliver plenty of air to dismiss the South African star.

These were all positives for the Scots and contributed to Durham limping along with a best partnership of just 34 and even the concluding overs, sometimes a graveyard for the Scottish attack, were tight and disciplined with the field carefully set.

In the end it all came to nothing but with no road trips this week and Yorkshire due at citylets Grange next week at least there may be extra opportunities to iron out flaws which undermined a potentially exciting display.