England see off Scotland by 39 runs

Aberdeen: England launched their second spell under coach Peter Moores with a ran-marred win over Scotland in the lone one-day international at Aberdeen`s Mannofield ground on Friday.

The visitors made 167 for six before Scotland, set a Duckworth/Lewis victory target of 173 to win finished on 133 for nine to give Moores`s men a win by 39 runs. Scotland lost both openers to James Anderson (two for 22) as they slumped to 18 for two against an England side they will next face again in the pool phase of the 2015 World Cup. And after a revival led by man-of-the-match Michael Leask`s blistering 42 off 16 balls, including five sixes and two fours, they were ultimately undone by off-spinner James Tredwell`s one-day best figures of four for 41. England saw captain Alastair Cook (44) and Ian Bell (50) put on 83 for the first wicket in an innings cut to 20 overs. Eoin Morgan made a brisk 31 while Somerset seamer Josh Davey took three wickets for 21 runs after England lost the toss. "It would have been wrong if the game hadn`t taken place," said Cook. "It was as wet as I`ve ever fielded in and it probably wasn`t fit to play but both sides just got on with it," the left-handed opener added. Earlier, Bell straight drove Majid Haq for six and next ball reverse swept the spinner for four. He also struck a straight six off Rob Taylor but was bowled two balls later by the left-arm seamer. Bell faced 34 balls including four fours and two sixes. Cook`s 47-ball innings ended when a flat, hard drive off left-arm seamer Taylor that was heading for six was brilliantly caught by a diving MacLeod at long off. Jos Buttler was also well caught in the deep by Taylor off Davey before Joe Root and Ravi Bopara holed out off him in a final over where Chris Jordan hit the last ball for six. Anderson struck four balls into Scotland`s innings when Matt Cross played on. And the Lancashire seamer had another wicket when he proved too quick in bowling Calum MacLeod. Anderson should have had a third wicket when Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer, then on just one, nicked a delivery that straightened only for wicketkeeper Buttler, seemingly surprised by the speed of the chance, to drop the catch. But it wasn`t an expensive miss with Northamptonshire batsman Coetzer -- one of six players with English counties in the Scotland side -- bowled round his legs sweeping by Tredwell for eight. Mannofield groundmsan Ken McCurdie dislocated his shoulder on Thursday while working to ensure the ground was fit for play and his efforts were rewarded as a capacity crowd of 2,000 soaked up the late evening sunshine. Unfortunately for Scotland supporters, Coetzer`s exit left the hosts 46 for three. But Leask gave home fans something to cheer by smashing a four and a six off successive Tredwell deliveries. Leask then took 17 runs off four consecutives balls from Bopara, including two sixes off the medium-pacer. But Leask, a club player who works in a bank, saw his quickfire innings end when he holed out off Tredwell. Scotland were now 95 for five off 13 overs and they never recovered. England next face Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 international on 20 May before five one-dayers and two Tests.