Scotland win high-scoring thriller

Cricket365
July 12, 2011

Richie Berrington hit the fourth fastest half-century in one-day history as Scotland overcame Ireland's massive total in Edinburgh.

Paul Stirling's blistering century at the top of the knock saw Ireland post 320 for eight in their tri-series clash after Scotland had chosen to field first, but it was not enough as Berrington's 56 from 23 balls propelled Scotland to their target with five wickets in hand and nine balls to spare.

Berrington's blitz included 6 sixes and 2 fours as he went to fifty in just 20 balls, before falling victim to John Mooney with Scotland just eight runs short of the required total.

Fraser Watts (54) and Kyle Coetzer (89) had set up the run-chase with an opening stand of 129, and were well backed up by the middle order as Josh Davey weighed in with an unbeaten 50 and Calum MacLeod (29) and Preston Mommsen (20) kept things rolling before Davey finished the job with Safyaan Sharif.

Earlier opening batsman Stirling had hit 6 sixes and 10 fours as he scored 113 from just 95 balls, and shared in a 119-run partnership for the second wicket with Alex Cusack (71) to give Ireland a huge platform on which to build.

Stirling was eventually caught at midwicket off the bowling of Majid Haq with the score on 182 for two in the 31st over, with Cusack being joined at the wicket by Andrew Poynter, who returned to the Ireland side for the first time since September last year.

Poynter added 51 from just 34 balls to maintain the momentum before he was trapped lbw by Mommsen, who struck again the very next ball when the new batsman Kevin O'Brien was brilliantly caught by Haq at short third man.

That took some of the sting out of the innings, as Mommsen and Davey each finished with three wickets for the innings.

Ireland's clash against Sri Lanka on Monday – the first match of the tri-series – was abandoned without a ball being bowled.