SCOTLAND’s hopes of taming the Highveld Lions were dashed by a disastrous batting collapse in Johannesburg.

Chasing 309 for victory in the 50-over clash at the Wanderers, the Saltires never fully recovered after collapsing to 50-5.

Uddingston batsman Calum MacLeod led a spirited recovery with a half-century while Northants star David Murphy also reached the 50-landmark for the first time in Scottish colours.

However, they had too much to do and, despite a hard-hitting 12-ball 27 from Gordon Goudie, the Scots fell 69 runs short.

Earlier the Saltires faced a tough time in the field as the home batsmen exploited the conditions superbly.

They maintained a consistent scoring rate of a run-a-ball, frequently peppering the short boundaries at the famous Jo’burg venue.

South Africa A batsman Stephen Cook top-scored with 108 but the tourists stuck to their task and Gordon Goudie was rewarded with the standout figures of 3-51.

His Stoneywood-Dyce team-mate Michael Leask also earned pass marks with a tidy spell of spin which brought 1-25.

However, the Lions total of 308-7 proved more than enough and the Saltires will now conclude their tour with a T20 double header against North West today.