Shaoib carves Durham cricket revenge

EDINBURGH: Shoaib Akhtar took four early wickets as Durham exacted cricket revenge on Scotland with a 114-run National League victory at The Grange yesterday.

SCORES: Durham 267-7 (45 overs) beat Scotland 153 all out (36 overs) by 114 runs.

Back in May, the Saltires began their first season in the English one-day league with an upset victory at the Riverside, but the return match brought the Scots’ fifth consecutive defeat. Pakistan pace man Shoaib, who did not play in the first encounter, accounted for all of his victims in the first three overs, leaving the home side 6-4 in search of 268 for victory. Neil Killeen then removed Scotland’s biggest threat, bowling Rahul Dravid for five. And despite an eighth wicket partnership of 90 between captain Craig Wright and Majid Haq, the Saltires were bowled out for 153 with nine overs to spare.

Muchall top-scored with 87 for the visitors. Off-spinner Haq, whose previous highest score in the competition was 16 not out, ended unbeaten on 55 after facing 64 balls, with eight fours and a six. Earlier, Gordon Muchall top-scored with a brisk 87 in the Dynamos’ 267-7 which also included 40s from opener Nicky Peng and Vice Wells. Wright reluctantly introduced former South Africa all-rounder Jon Kent as his seventh-choice bowler and was rewarded with three late wickets in five overs.