Scotland stun England with six-run win as Calum MacLeod stars in Edinburgh

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Will Macpherson10 June 2018

Scotland have beaten England at cricket.

That bears repeating, with plenty of context. Scotland have beaten England at cricket, despite England being the No1-ranked ODI team who have won their last six series; despite Scotland being among cricket’s have-nots, the Associates frozen out of next year’s World Cup, the World Cup for which England are favourites; despite being ranked 13th; despite Jonny Bairstow, arguably the world’s form ODI batsman, scoring a quite brilliant 54-ball century.

Six runs was the margin of victory in a wonderful game, and for it Scotland were superb value. They batted brilliantly, with Calum MacLeod making an unbeaten 140, and bowled gallantly. MacLeod was the hero on a fine day for the sport here and beyond, reaching his century in 70 balls and even pulling off the run out of Adil Rashid from the deep to just about seal the win. To think, MacLeod – like Kyle Coetzer, his captain, cannot even find a county at the moment. That may change now. They’ll be dancing on the streets of Raith tonight, as someone once said.

As the pitch invasion that greeted the raising of Marais Erasmus’s finger when Mark Wood was trapped lbw by Shafyaan Sharif to finish the job showed, this was an 'I Was There' moment for Scots, cricket fans or not. Perhaps it can be built on and become a seminal moment in the game’s history here. The squad’s lap of honour was as long and slow as it deserved to be.

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Each passing over made Scotland’s exclusion from next year’s 10-team World Cup look more laughable. The tournament will be poorer for their absence (they are only not there after defeat by the slimmest of margins, in flavour and competitiveness. They threw a fine party too (even strident England fans surely had a great time), with a flat track, small boundaries and a fast outfield providing 736 runs and contributing to a festival feel. Four thousand rocked up, including Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones (who played at Murrayfield last night), and a few more peeped through the fence at the Nursery End of the ground.

The Grange is tucked away in the smart suburb of Stockbridge, but for an afternoon, it went wild. As the game neared its conclusion, between balls it was silent, while bat meeting ball was greeted with a mammoth collective gasp. By the time Liam Plunkett and Rashid were trying to edge the final 25 they were left to accumulate, Flower of Scotland was being belted out and each ball received full voice from a well-oiled crowd. The PA announcer had to remind fans not to storm the field at the end. It did not work.

Scotland, having been asked to bat first, posted an imposing 371 for five, and records tumbled. Besides it being Scotland’s highest score ever, it was the first time four of England’s five bowlers – who lacked clout and depth without Chris Woakes particularly but Ben Stokes too – had conceded 70 runs each. Only Moeen Ali escaped, and he shipped 65 from his 10 overs. Eoin Morgan, for once, looked short of options.

MacLeod, who received handy support in partnerships of 83 and 107 (both of which broke the record for Scotland’s biggest stand against England) with Richie Berrington and George Munsey respectively, capitalised on a fast start from openers Matt Cross and Kyle Coetzer. MacLeod’s was Scotland’s first century against England; how close it came to giving them their first win.

England required their biggest chase ever, and Bairstow gave them the perfect start. This was his third successive century at the top of the order, following tons in Dunedin, the Edinburgh of the South, and Christchurch. He is the first Englishman to achieve the feat and t the Oval against Australia on Wednesday, he has a shot at equalling Kumar Sangakkara’s record of four ODI tons on the spin. Bairstow is the first Englishman to get three.

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Each of the hundreds been quicker than the last and this one took 54 balls, England’s third-fastest ever. The top six and 10 of the top 11 are made by five different members of the current squad – Bairstow, Jos Buttler (who was rested here), Moeen Ali, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan. All five of his centuries have come in 17 games since moving to open 12 months ago. In that time, he has averaged 65 and made all five of his ODI centuries.

This one overtook his last as the fastest by an England opener and it was completed on the 16th over. Two overs later, he was gone, taking on long-off in search of a seventh six to go with his 12 fours. Three of those sixes came in a single over – the one in which he moved past 50 from 27 balls – from poor Michael Leask. He reached 90 from his 40th ball, so could have arrived plenty quicker. He scored just eight from his first eight balls, too. When he got going, his hitting was beautifully crisp along the ground on the offside and in the air to leg.

Still, England were cruising at 220 for two until Alex Hales ran Joe Root outyand thet lost five for 56. Then, having reached a tidy half-century, Hales gave his wicket away the ball after Eoin Morgan was well held at midwicket. Hales dimly drilled Richie Berrington to point then Sam Billings turned a full toss to midwicket, wasting his golden chance, and buoying the crowd in the belief that an upset was imminent.

Moeen Ali steadied England’s ship by sharing 71 with Plunkett, only to give it away when they needed 25 from 27. Rashid ran himself out, then Wood was pinned in front by Sharif, and bedlam ensued. England are a superb team who were not at their best, and this will be seen as a speed bump on what has at times seemed an inexorable rise. The debrief, though, can wait until the morning – there’s more fun to be had in Edinburgh first.

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