Cricket World Cup Qualifier: Rain ends Ireland-Scotland warm-up game

Kevin O'Brien was the best of the Irish bastmen in the abandoned game against Scotland

Ireland's match against Scotland was abandoned on Tuesday after the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers warm-up was hit by persistent rain in Pretoria.

Niall O'Brien top scored with 75 as the Irish made 259-8 in their 50 overs.

Andrew Balbirnie chipped in with 58 and Simi Singh added 44 in the Ireland innings, which was followed by rain.

Ireland face Hong Kong on Friday in their final Pretoria warm-up before travelling to Zimbabwe for the World Cup Qualifier tournament.

• ICC World Cup Qualifier - full fixtures

The Irish beat Northerns/Easterns XI and Netherlands in their opening two preparation matches in South Africa.

Ireland have warm-up matches in Bulawayo against hosts Zimbabwe on 27 February and Scotland on 1 March before relocating to Harare for the main competition.

Their five-team group includes top seeds West Indies with the top three in each of the two groups progressing to a Super Six competition, from which two will go through to the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

Ireland World Cup Qualifier squad:

William Porterfield (Formby/Warriors, capt), Andrew Balbirnie (Pembroke/Lightning), Peter Chase (Malahide/Lightning), George Dockrell (Leinster/Lightning), Ed Joyce (Merrion/Lightning), Andrew McBrine (Donemana/Warriors), Barry McCarthy (Durham), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex), Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union/Lightning), Niall O'Brien (Nantwich/Warriors, wk), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), James Shannon (Instonians/Knights), Simi Singh (YMCA/Lightning), Paul Stirling (Middlesex), Gary Wilson (Derbyshire, wk).