On Saturday morning there was no rain around the M50, and when I reached Milverton the sky was grey, but the clouds were high and beginning to break up. The Italian squad was in great form, showing off their football skills (that's the game the rest of the world calls football, not legalised GBH or aerial ping-pong).

The Scots were going through their drills, led by coach Peter Steindl and assisted by former Ireland coach Adi Birrell. Joe Scuderi won the toss and took first hit on a decent looking track, hoping for a much better start than yesterday's.

But it wasn't to be. Thushara Kurukulasuriya was caught behind off Gordon Drummond's bowling for a duck, and although Andy Northcote struck a couple of boundaries, on 14 he top-edged a hook off the very lively John Blain into Drummond's hands at fine leg.

22/2 became 37/4 when first Peter Petricola and then Joe Scuderi were caught behind off Blain. The Italian skipper dredged up some Aussie bile about the decision once in the safety of the pavilion.

Alessandro Bonora and Hemantha Jayasena made steady progress, and saw things through the bowling of first change, Richard Berrington, and a return spell at the other end from Drummond. Spinners Majid Haq and Glenn Rogers took over, and immediately found turn and bounce.

The fifth wicket to fall owed nothing to the bowling, however. Bonora was beaten by an accurate throw from Gregor Maiden and run out for 28. Immediately, Nick Northcote nicked a lifter from slow left-armer Rogers through to Smith behind the stumps, and Italy were 68/6.

Kelum Perera joined Jayasena, and the pair ground the score to 86, when Perera was unlucky to be given out caught behind down the leg side from off spinner Haq. When will these guys learn not to wear wooden thigh pads?

The left-handed Jayasena (14) was bowled by Haq, and on the same score, the Aussie Devil's Number - 87, Munasinghe was well taken at slip by Ryan Watson off Haq. Din Alaud joined Vincenzo Pennazza, and the two batted sensibly and well to add 38 more runs.

The highest partnership of the innings was ended when Din Alaud (21) edged Drummond through to Smith, his sixth catch (four of them off the bat!). Italy were all out for 125 in 44.4 overs, Ernie Extras again making second top score with 22.

Blain took 3/31, Drummond 2/21, Haq 3/22 and Rogers 1/18. All the Scots wanted was a good start, but more essentially, so too did the Italians. The last wicket pair of Din Alaud and Pennazza continued their defiance with fine opening spells.

Scotland were lucky to lose only Ryan Watson for 3, caught at slip by Scuderi off the excellent left-armer Pennazza. Gregor Maiden and Qasim Sheikh played a lot in the air wide of the fielders, but also dispatched some loose deliveries to the boundary.

The second wicket came when Maiden (25) drove the innocuous-looking off breaks of Andy Northcote to Munasinghe at mid on. The left-handed Qasim Sheikh was not best pleased to be given out lbw to Northcote for a chunky 33, but who would be?

Richard Berrington joined the impressive Colin Smith, but the pair needed a bit a luck against Jayasena's leg-breaks. Nick Northcote put down a difficult leg-side chance, and sub Dylan Sarnelli spilled a dolly at mid off (it wasn't blowing in the wind, there wasn't a hard rain, it was just like a woman - my granny).

In glorious sunshine Smith eventually perished for 33 to supersub Sarnelli off Jayasena (I want you, it's all over now baby blue), and Neil McCallum (8*) joined Barrington (15*) to see the score past 125. The score was on 124 when a lovely off drive gave Scotland the win.

They had already run two when the ball was pulled up inside the rope. So if it had reached the boundary only two runs would have been scored. But this didn't stop the Wee Jimmies from scampering a third, narrowly avoiding a run out that wouldn't have counted. What's the Italian for 'Sorry mate, the ball's dead, the game's over - if they want to run up and down I can't stop them!'?

The 126/4 was reached in 29 overs, with nine extras, all wides. Din Alaud deserved more than 0/22 off 6 overs, Pennazza took 1/23 off his 7, Northcote 2/34 off 7, and Jayasena 1/37 off 7.

Italy had no luck, and Din Alaud, Pennazza and Bonora excepted, didn't perform to their ability. Scotland look a useful unit, but how useful the Italians didn't really allow us to judge.