Scotland's Lyle Robertson Shatters Massive Cricket Records On Debut, Joins Kagiso Rabada

Lyle Robertson in action for Scotland vs Canada [Source: CricketScotland/X.com]

Off-spinner Lyle Robertson was instrumental in Scotland’s pursuit of the top of the Cricket World Cup League 2 table on Thursday evening as the hosts thrashed Canada by 170 runs in Dundee. On debut, he achieved a unique feat, beating all the spinners the game has ever seen and picked 6/52 in his 10 overs.

With the third successive win in the final stretch of the CWC League 2 games, Scotland toppled the USA on the table with 19 wins in 36 matches, accumulating 45 points. They had already sealed a spot in next year’s World Cup Qualifiers, to be played in February and March, a few days ago.

Scotland’s Lyle Robertson achieves unprecedented feat on ODI debut

The 23-year-old off-spinner, Lyle Robertson, who played for Scotland during the U19 World Cup 2022, had to wait over four years to get his debut cap for the country, as he played against Canada on Thursday. This was not only his ODI debut but also the first time playing List A cricket.

While defending a target of 347 runs, he ripped through the Canadian batting lineup and became the first-ever spinner to pick a six-wicket haul on ODI debut. Previously, only Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas was the spinner to pick a five-fer on debut.

In the process, he also dismissed captain Saad Bin Zafar and bowled a triple-wicket over to wrap up the proceedings.

Also Read: Scotland vs Canada Becomes 5000th ODI! Did India Feature In 1000, 2000, 3000, Or 4000th ODI?

Best ODI debut bowling figures for spinners:

1. Lyle Robertson (Scotland) – 6/52 (10) vs Canada, Dundee, 2026;

2. Arafat Minhas (Pakistan) – 5/32 (10) vs Australia, Rawalpindi, 2026;

3. Taijul Islam (Bangladesh) – 4/11 (7) vs Zimbabwe, Mirpur, 2014;

4. Aayan Afzal Khan (UAE) – 4/14 (10) vs Nepal, Kirtipur, 2022;

5. Stuart MacGill (Australia) – 4/19 (10) vs Pakistan, Sydney, 2000.

Lyle Robertson joins Kagiso Rabada in elite list

While Robertson became the spinner with the best bowling figures on ODI debut, his fellow countryman, fast bowler Charlie Cassell, had picked 7/21 on his debut at the same venue against Oman, which are the best-ever ODI debut bowling figures.

Notably, with his 6-fer, Robertson joined Kagiso Rabada in the record. Rabada had recorded the breathtaking figures of 6/16 (8) back in 2015 against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Only Fidel Edwards is the other name to achieve a similar feat. He had held the record for the best ODI debut figures for almost 12 years from 2003.