Scotland to Host Australia in Historic T20I Series

Scotland and Australia are set to face off in their first bilateral men's T20I series in Edinburgh this September. The three-match series will mark Australia's first tour of Scotland in 11 years and will serve as a warm-up for their five-match ODI series against England.

The games will be played at The Grange on September 4, 5, and 7, ahead of the first ODI against England at Trent Bridge on September 19. The announcement comes as the two sides prepare to meet in a T20 World Cup Group B fixture in St Lucia, which will determine whether England or Scotland join Australia in the Super Eight stage.

Scotland and Australia have a limited history in bilateral matches, having played only five ODIs against each other over the years. Australia has emerged victorious on each occasion, including a thumping 200-run win in their last meeting in 2013.

Despite their past record, Scotland is eager to make a statement on home soil. The series will provide a valuable opportunity for the team to showcase their skills and gain experience against a top-ranked opponent.

For Cricket Scotland, the tour is also a chance to highlight Edinburgh as a cricket destination and to move forward from recent controversies surrounding institutional racism and sexism.

"What a way to end the year to have Australia coming to Scotland, playing in three T20 internationals at the Grange, when we have been through such incredibly difficult times," said Cricket Scotland CEO Trudy Lindblade. "It will be a celebration of cricket in Scotland and we hope that everybody gets behind us."

Lindblade hopes the tour will lead to more visits from Full-Member countries in the future. "We need to play high-quality cricket more often," she said. "This will demonstrate, not just our on-the-field performance, but also the people in Scotland get to see the best possible cricket."

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