Dan Vettori safely negotiated his first match in black for 16 months, taking 0-43 off 10 overs and making 12 off 15 with the bat. Picture / Getty Images
Unfancied Scotland came within a decent blow of embarrassing a New Zealand XI full of World Cup-bound players at Lincoln yesterday.
Maybe the chill in the Canterbury air was more suited to the visitors but the NZ XI escaped with a one-run win in a game they had a grip
on early in the chase, then should have lost at the death.
Scotland, one of four associate member countries who have qualified for the Cup early next year, had the NZ XI in trouble at 209 for nine before some late hitting by Kyle Mills and Matt Henry got the hosts up to 263.
Captain Brendon McCullum and allrounder Corey Anderson made half centuries in between several misses from other batsmen.
With Scotland 41-3 in reply, the NZ XI were well in charge. However, a 111-run stand between Hamish Gardiner (54) and Matt Machan, who hit a fine run-a-ball 86, righted the Scottish ship.
