Scots in need of funding (1 June 1999)

1 June 1999

Scots in need of funding

David Green

Scotland captain George Salmond and cricket director Jim Love are disappointed at ending the World Cup without a win but both are realistic enough to know that Scottish cricket must improve greatly to compete at this level.

Love said: "This has been a great adventure, but obviously our batsmen's techniques have been found out. Not one of our top five batsmen was able to play through and make 70 or 80.

"Our bowlers generally have done well and that is why we picked the same line-up right through the competition. Our batsmen are hindered because we don't have good-quality practice pitches in Scotland."

Love cited Gavin Hamilton, who made 216 runs in the competition, averaging 54. "Gavin, of course, gets good practice facilities at Headingley and elsewhere on the county circuit, and he always looked likely to make runs."

Love knows money is needed to provide such facilities, and this would be more likely to appear if Scotland were awarded one-day international status by the International Cricket Council. "Kenya and Bangladesh have recently been awarded this status," said Love, "and we are keeping our fingers crossed."

Love, incidentally, is still upset that his side failed to beat Bangladesh two Mondays ago. "We lost that game by 22 runs, having given away 39 in wides and no-balls," he said, "and a win in that match would have greatly helped our cause at the ICC meeting."

Crowds have averaged 6,000 at Raeburn Place. Love is worried that this level of interest will not be sustained without serious investment.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph