Marsh insists Scottish clash was important

Opener Shaun Marsh insisted Australia’s mammoth 200-run win over Scotland in Edinburgh was not a waste of time.

The tourists used the one-off one-day international at the Grange as a warm-up for the five-match series with England that starts in Leeds on Friday.

But while England were being tested by a competitive Ireland side in Dublin, Australia were barely pushed as they plundered 362 for three – the highest total Scotland have ever conceded.

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Aaron Finch, fresh from scoring a record-breaking Twenty20 knock of 156 against England last week – continued where he left off by scoring his maiden ODI century with 148 from just 116 balls.

Marsh added 151 as the duo set a new record Australia opening partnership of 246, but the 30-year-old Western Australian dismissed suggestions the winners had not been challenged.

“It wasn’t easy out there. It was a tricky wicket, they bowled well and I had to work hard,” he said. “It was definitely a worthwhile exercise – 100 per cent. The boys got time out in the middle, the bowlers bowled well and it was a great spectacle. It’s great to come up to a lovely place like Edinburgh.”

Having failed to regain the Ashes with a 3-0 Test series defeat before drawing the Twenty20 clashes that followed 1-1, the flagging Aussies were in desperate need of a morale-boosting victory. But defeat was never a prospect as their top-order batsmen simply blew the Scots away.

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Yet Scotland did have an early chance when Madjid Haq tempted Finch down the track, only for wicketkeeper David Murphy to let the ball slip by when the stumping was there to be taken.

In reply, the home side lost Freddie Coleman and Hamish Gardiner cheaply within the first five overs.

But Matt Machan (39), Calum MacLeod and Haq (both 24) all helped add a touch of respectability before Mitchell Johnson (four for 36) ended their reply at 162 all out with six overs remaining.

Their first innings effort was even worse than the 345 they conceded against Australia in the Scottish capital four years ago and does nothing to boost morale ahead of two meetings with Ireland this weekend.