With Scottish cricket currently in the news for all the wrong reasons, the players will no doubt have been looking forward to attention turning to on-field matters as their series against New Zealand began today at the Grange in Edinburgh.

Unfortunately they came up against a New Zealand side hitting form at just the right time. Put into bat, their opening pair of Martin Guptill and Finn Allen got the innings off to a good start with a partnership of 85 before the former was the first man out for 40, caught behind off the bowling of Richie Berrington in the ninth over.

Allen batted on and eventually fell in the 18th over when he was stumped for 101. The Kiwis finished their 20 overs having scored 225-5. Chris Sole came in for particular punishment, conceding 72 runs from his four overs.

George Munsey and Calum MacLeod opened the Scottish reply with a 62 run opening stand which ended when the former was out for 28. MacLeod scored 33, but other than 31 from Chris Greaves the rest of the batting line-up folded like the proverbial house of cards.

Ish Sodhi took four wickets for 28 runs as Scotland were kept to 157-8 from their 20 overs, losing by 68 runs. The second T20I will be at the same venue on Friday and the Scottish leg of New Zealand’s European tour concludes with a one-off ODI on Sunday.