Day 1:
At the end of the first day's play in their three-day match at Edgbaston, Birmingham, yesterday, Scotland were 26 runs behind on the first innings, and Warwickshire had four wickets in hand. Scotland's innings lasted three hours, during which most of the serious problems were presented by Hollies one of England's discarded Test bowlers, who bore the brunt of the attack, but spun the ball very cleverly in longish spells to finish with six wickets for 71 runs.

The Scottish start was shaky, with Aitchison, a century maker at Paisley, back in the pavilion with only 19 runs on the board. Lumsden and Nichol, however, took the score to 88 before the Watsonian, who had batted most attractively, was howled off his pads with the second ball after lunch. The Hollies began to get on top and all but had a hat-trick. At 113 he got rid of Johnston and Edward with successive balls, and there was a chorus of "Ahs" when Laidlaw just managed to stone-wall the next to deprive him of the distinction. Even so, Laidlaw was far from confident, and after being missed in the slips by Cranmer off his one and only scoring stroke he was out six runs later.

Once again Scotland were largely indebted to one man for making a show on a big occasion, and, as happened against South Africa last week it was W. Nichol who revealed the staying power. In his stay of 90 minutes he played most attractive cricket. He had one 6 off Hollies and five 4s in his half century, and was last out to a, brilliant catch in the outfield off the Test player's bowling.

Left with three and a half hours to bat, Warwickshire were not too adventurous, though their celebrated hard hitting captain, Peter Cranmer, could not restrain himself, and threw his wicket away against well-varied bowing. Laidlaw flighted the ball well, and at one time had captured three good wickets, for 11 runs. Maudsley, the Oxford Blue, who had been always correct but painfully slow, knocked him off his length by driving him for 4's three times in the same over, and it was the same player who punched a ball to the boundary off Youngson to enable the county to pass Scotland's first innings total.

Day 2:
Though losing to Warwickshire by four wickets, Scotland rallied to put up a creditable show on their first visit to Edgbaston before the match ended last night at the close of the second day's play. With about three hours to get 61 runs to win, the County found the going unexpectedly hard against a rejuvenated Scottish attack.

The fast bowlers, Youngson and Hodge covered themselves with distinction, and gave the Englishmen many anxious moments. Both varied their pace finely, the tall Aberdonian taking three wickets for 20, and Hodge two for 23. Scotland's fielding, too, was first class, but the County got the runs they needed in 75 minutes.

When play was resumed in the morning Warwickshire did not stay long, and Scotland finished only 52 behind on the first innings. Aitchison and Sheppard soon dissolved the deficit, and at lunch Scotland's prospects were quite rosy.

Then, when it looked as if they had the power to keep the game going till the third day, things began to happen, Hollies, the Test bowler, finding a spot on the wicket to again become the villain of the piece. He dismissed Lumsden and Johnston with successive bails at 57, but this time Hodge kept him from getting his hat-trick, despite a closely packed and alert field.

Nichol went in the next over, also for a duck, and half the side were out for 57. Merson and Edward strove grandly to stem the rot, and added 34 before the former left, but alter that, apart from Edward, Scotland's wickets fell in the expected routine fashion, and the total was even poorer than the previous day's. If the Scots' batting had been in the same class as their bowling and fielding, the match would have lasted another day.

(Article: Copyright © 2013 Cricket Scotland http://cricketscotland.com)