The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
New father Coetzer’s reason to cheer after Sri Lanka win
Aberdonian batsmen flay centuries in historic victory for Scots
Aberdonians Kyle Coetzer and Matthew Cross powered Scotland to a first win against a Test cricket nation with a superb success against Sri Lanka at Beckenham yesterday
The pair each scored a century in a record-breaking opening stand as the Scots stunned Sri Lanka in a stroll to victory in Kent.
Chasing 288 in the Champions Trophy warmup match for Sri Lanka, Coetzer and Cross never looked back from the moment the latter clipped an early delivery over the ropes at deep square leg for 6.
The pair then systematically destroyed the Sri Lankan bowling with a brilliant display of controlled aggression as they first posted 50 in 10 overs and then reached 100 just six overs later.
Coetzer, only playing due to their early birth of his second daughter, went on to reach a superb century and was eventually first out for a blistering 118.
His departure sparked a slight stutter as another two batsmen departed in quick succession.
But Cross anchored the innings brilliantly, reaching his century with a boundary to level the scores before the Scots secured a famous win with seven wickets to spare.
Coetzer claimed an outstanding bowling performance was the key to yesterday’s stunning win.
Former Durham and Northants batsman Coetzer had been due to sit out the match to be with wife Sarah at the birth of his second daughter.
But when Gabriella was born a week early, Coetzer was cleared to join the squad and made the most of his reprieve with a seventh international century.
He shared a record opening stand of 201 with Cross who recorded his maiden Scotland ton to finish unbeaten on 106. Coetzer said: “The baby arriving early has worked out perfectly for me and it’s been a great day.
“We’ve played a really good game of cricket and I think restricting them to less than 300 on that wicket was key to the win.
“It was an outstanding effort by the bowlers because Sri Lanka came at us hard and at one stage it looked as if they might get away from us.
“But we picked up wickets at good times and were de- lighted with the total we were left chasing.
“For Crossy and me it was just one of those days. I’m a great believer that if things are going your way you should keep riding the wave and that’s what I did.”
Coetzer, who hit 15 boundaries and four maximums in a memorable knock, added: “We kept taking the attack to them whereas too often in the past we might have gone into or shell and not believed we could do it.
“But today we showed we were up to the task and I’m really chuffed. Although I got out, Crossy deserves real credit for seeing us all the way home.”
Scotland had previously defeated Australia in a friendly encounter in 1882 and have twice beaten Bangladesh – once in a Twenty20 international – but yesterday’s success was their first win against a topranked Test side in a 50over match in the modern era.
“We showed we were up to the task and I'm really chuffed”