When the first ball is bowled tomorrow Scotland will have tackled every cricketing nation of significance, in various formats of the game, over a two-year period. Of the elite band England are the most desirable opposition, but certainly not the toughest.

There is nothing deliberately antagonistic about that claim, endorsed by John Blain, Scotland's firebrand fast bowler, yesterday. This is one-day cricket and the Scots have been able to clearly identify Australia, South Africa and New Zealand as purveyors of the very highest levels of professionalism and ruthlessness. Then there is a second tier led by Sri Lanka ahead of India, Pakistan and West Indies – all three of whom have been stretched by the Scots in their modern pursuit of a breakthrough major scalp.

England's perennial struggles in stringing together good limited-overs performances means it is mere common sense to rate them in that secondary bracket and believe that they, too, can be given a scare. Blain, the 29-year-old firebrand from Penicuik, has spent most of his adult life as a county cricketer but never slipped into the comfort zone of considering himself as much English as Scots.

While acknowledging the obvious truth that Kevin Pietersen's are crystal-clear favourites to win tomorrow's one-day international at Citylets Grange, Blain agrees that the chasm between the teams is not wide enough to make the underdogs feel like uninvited guests at a swish party.

"I think English cricket has always been an advocate of moving the game forward, they had the initial idea of 20-over cricket and they have always been an innovative nation. They improved a lot under Michael Vaughan as a Test nation, but as a one-day outfit they have never really reached the heights they should have done, given the talent that I know is in England," said Blain, formerly of Northamptonshire and Yorkshire.

"I could sit down and write down 14 names that you would say would be in the New Zealand one-day squad, and which have been for the last two years and will be for the next three years. The problem with England is you could write down four names that will be in the squad and then you say 'will it be Bopara, will it be Shah, will it be X, Y and Z?' Will Ryan Sidebottom be fit, will Anderson still be around, will John Lewis play? And I think that stops you moving forward."

Picking up such favourable nicknames as Haggis and William, Blain was well known on the county circuit and has, like Gavin Hamilton, a rapport with most of the players he will aim to humiliate on Monday. Pietersen and Blain are not dissimilar characters and the Scot sees his elevation to the England captaincy as a masterstroke.

"I think the guy is ultra-talented but he also has the attitude that he can deal with what the press can throw at him. The best leaders lead by action and he certainly does that, and I certainly think he is the right man for the job because of his charisma, strength and results to back it up," said Blain.

Today's Scotland are never more impressive than when Blain and Dewald Nel run in with the new ball, and they have hatched plans with the coaching staff on how to bowl against Ian Bell and Alastair Cook, who opened for England last time out, but also the hard-hitting Luke Wright. Again, Blain is eager to put this challenge into the perspective gained in a year in which the big three of the southern hemisphere put Scotland firmly into their place.

"With all due respect to Luke Wright, I've bowled to Adam Gilchrist and all the rest of them, Di Venuto and Phil Mustard, all these guys who are supposed to be explosive players," says Blain. "It's up to us to nullify that.

"We've played against all the guys who are playing on Monday and we know them. I know I have been successful against probably 75 per cent of the guys in that team. In fact, if Graeme Swann plays, he is somebody who I lived on the same street as and spent all my time with at Northampton, and someone I outperformed on some occasions.

"They have some very, very fine players and you can't take that away from them. Obviously they are in a different league to ourselves, but I don't think there is anything to fear.

"There is a stigma attached to Scotland-England in any sport, but this does stand out because of the interest in it, and as a one-off match it's probably the pinnacle of my career. The country is only 150 miles from us and that means it's a big match for us all, and it's something that should be embraced and enjoyed."