Openers Star as England Cruise to Victory

Edinburgh: Openers Craig Kieswetter and captain Andrew Strauss were both in the runs as England warmed up for their one-day international series against Australia with a seven-wicket win over Scotland.

England, set 212 for victory, made 213 for three inside 34 overs on Saturday with Kieswetter contributing 69 and Strauss 61.

The pair put on 121 for the first wicket, with Kieswetter carrying on from where he left off in the England side that beat Australia in Barbados in the final of the World Twenty20.

Strauss, who no longer players in the Twenty20, struck a dozen boundaries as he tuned up for the first of a five-match one-day series against Australia which starts at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.

Fellow South Africa-born batsman Kieswetter, a former junior international for the Proteas, hit two sixes and eight fours, racing to his fifty off 38 balls courtesy of a towering six off Ross Lyons.

The first wicket stand ended when left-hander Strauss lofted Majid Haq to Neil McCallum at deep midwicket and Kieswetter holed out soon afterwards.

Kevin Pietersen fell cheaply for 17, also to off-spinner Haq.

But Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood (38 not out) and Eoin Morgan (24 not out) saw England to a comfortable victory with more than 16 overs left.

Earlier, Michael Yardy took three wickets as England held Scotland to 211 all out.

Left-arm spinner Yardy, a World Twenty20 winner, took three wickets for 41 runs in his full 10 overs while off-spinner Graeme Swann also weighed in with two for 29 in his 10 overs.

Kyle Coetzer top scored for Scotland with 51 and shared a stand of 86 with captain Gavin Hamilton (48), who played one Test for England back in 1999.

After the early dismissal of Ryan Watson, Coetzer, who plays county cricket for English champions Durham, began to play some shots.

But after completing his maiden one-day fifty he fell to a leading edge off Yardy who then removed Josh Davey and Richie Berrington in quick succession.

Swann got in on the act when he had Matthew Parker lbw for two to leave non-Test nation Scotland 157 for seven with nine overs left.

Douglas Lockhart (46) boosted the total before he was bowled late on by Ajmal Shahzad.

However, England's decision to rest Stuart Broad from their Test series win over Bangladesh appeared to have done the fast bowler few favours, his eight wicket less overs costing 49 runs.

Brief scores
Scotland 211 (Coetzer 51, Yardy 4-41)
England 213 for 3 (Kieswetter 69, Haq 2-35)
Result England won by seven wickets