England Lions squander golden start in crushing defeat by Australia A
James Taylor’s innings of 79 could not prevent England Lions going 2-0 down in the five-match series against Australia A.
Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty Images England Lions suffered a 122-run defeat in their second unofficial one-day international against Australia A as Joe Burns helped himself to a century.
Burns came to the wicket after his captain, Aaron Finch, fell to the first ball of the match in Hobart, and the No3 anchored the hosts’ innings with 114 as they made 315 for seven in their 50 overs.
Despite 79 from their own captain, James Taylor, the Lions never came close to reaching their hefty target and were bowled out for 193 with 8.3 overs remaining as Australia A took a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Stuart Meaker made a dream start with the new ball for England, having Finch caught by Varun Chopra first up, but Burns put on 78 with Alex Doolan (31) and 128 with Callum Ferguson, who made 74.
Burns became Rikki Clarke’s first victim in creditable figures of four for 55 but 89 runs off the last seven overs meant the tourists were left facing a daunting chase.
They lost Alex Hales with 16 on the board and though Chopra (38) and Taylor put on 71 for the second wicket, the target was always beyond them.
Gary Ballance chipped in with 23 in a stand of 52 with Taylor but the next best score was 10 as a procession of wickets, shared out between five bowlers, left England well short.
The last seven wickets fell for 50 and the last three without a run being added.
The result leaves the Lions needing to win the three remaining matches, at the same venue on Friday and then in Sydney on Monday and Friday of next week, if they are to turn the series around.
Ian Bell century sees England home against India in Dharamsala
England made themselves very much at home in the foothills of the Himalayas on Sunday to win the final one-day international of their Indian tour at a canter.
Conditions were very in England’s favour in this cricketing outpost and Ian Bell took full advantage with an unbeaten 113 to lead Alastair Cook’s side to a seven-wicket victory that ends this largely chastening one-day series on a high note.
India take the series 3-2 but that is a big improvement on the two 5-0 thrashings England have received in their last one-day series here in India and they will leave for New Zealand knowing that if they had won the toss in the fourth match in Mohali the outcome could have been very different.
Match winner: Ian Bell’s century helped England on their way to a seven-wicket win England were hardly left with a mountain to climb after India had been bowled out for 227 with two balls of their 50 overs wasted as Tim Bresnan took 4-45 in his last game before he tries to sort out his long-standing elbow problem.
And Bell, who passed 4,000 one-day runs, led them home in a regulation run-chase for England that would have been even more comfortable had they not lost Cook and Kevin Pietersen relatively cheaply.
Eoin Morgan hastened England over the line in company with Bell.
There can be few if any more stunning settings for cricket than the HPCA Stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas and England felt immediately at ease in early temperatures more similar to Durham in April than touring India.
Bresnan has been deemed not fit enough to tour New Zealand next month but he was surprisingly selected here ahead of Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker and, perhaps with a small point to prove, made an immediate impact.
Alastair Cook had, at last, won a toss and England gained pace and bounce on what the colourful Stetson-wearing groundsman here boasts is the fastest pitch in India.
Bresnan was on a hat-trick when he had both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli caught by James Tredwell at second slip, the second a juggling effort that was almost dropped when his captain moved to congratulate him prematurely.
Support: Eoin Morgan was unbeaten on 40 as England chased down 226 Yuvraj Singh, something of a local hero because of his family connections in this beautiful region of India, managed to avert the hat-trick but he couldn t stop his side crashing to 79 for five with Steven Finn, in his element on this pitch, dismissing both Yuvraj and MS Dhoni to silence an excitable 20,000 crowd watching the first international match staged in this venue.
If Suresh Raina, such a key figure in India’s decisive victory in Mohali, had been caught by Tredwell off Chris Woakes, who came in for Dernbach, the game could have been over by lunchtime but instead he was another big thorn in England’s side.
The best Indian batting came when Raina was joined by Ravindra Jadeja as the left-handed pair took a particular shine to Joe Root and Samit Patel when England’s lack of a fifth specialist bowler was slightly exposed.
The one spinner who did not suffer at their hands was Tredwell, who has enhanced his reputation significantly in this series standing in for Graeme Swann.
Star: Tim Bresnan took 4-45 as England rattled through the Indian batting line-up Tredwell may look innocuous at times but he has commanded respect from India’s strokemakers here and finished with 11 wickets in the series when he added two more victims, Gautam Gambhir and Jadeja, to his list here at the cost of only 25 runs.
England were left to rue some more missed chances when Cook put down Raina off Tredwell and then, in the same over, the bowler almost got his hand to a blistering caught and bowled opportunity.
But the drop that England would be most disappointed about was the regulation spill of Shami Ahmed by Patel, whose hold on an England one-day place has been loosened in this series.
Raina finally fell to the all Warwickshire combination of Woakes and Ian Bell and India would have been relatively pleased to climb to 226 all out.
Bresnan took his tally to four wickets with the late additions of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed – not bad for someone with a damaged elbow.
India would have liked to have won 4-1 after losing the Test series to England and drawing the Twenty20 mini-series before Christmas but, even though Ishant Sharma bowled exceptionally well, this was England’s day.
They leave for Auckland on Monday for a two-month tour of New Zealand in good spirits.
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Trott ton the highlight for England
Jonathan Trott hit a century as England drew their final warm-up match prior to the first Test again Jonathan Trott bagged a century but England had to settle for a third successive stalemate in their final warm-up match against Haryana.
The tourists dominated for most of the four days and jockeyed a position to push for an unlikely victory in the final session.
But in the end, their hosts held out on 133 for six in notional pursuit of 442 to win.
Trott’s 101 (retired out) is England’s fifth century in three fixtures before the first Test against India starts on Thursday, and their likely top seven in that match have all made at least one 50 too.
Runs have been no problem, on flat pitches, but wickets have been more of a challenge – and after a mid-afternoon declaration on 254 for seven, try as they might they were unable to overhaul that trend on perhaps the least responsive surface of all.
Minor hopes were raised for a morale-boosting win with two wickets before tea and two more soon afterwards.
Stuart Meaker got rid of first-innings centurion Rahul Dewan for only 13, and Samit Patel won a second lbw verdict against Sachin Rana.
Tim Bresnan, England’s likeliest wicket-taker throughout, was rewarded for his hard work and patience when the adventurous Sunny Singh went after off side runs but could only edge behind – and then Abhimany Khod registered his second single-figure score of the match when he too was caught by Matt Prior, having pushed forward in defence at the Yorkshireman.
Then Nitin Saini (50) edged Monty Panesar behind on the forward defence to make it 96 for five with more than an hour remaining – but despite an overdue wicket too for Graham Onions, it transpired the opener’s 84 balls of defiance had given England too much to do.
The tourists had earlier chosen to bat on longer than most expected on the final day.
Trott’s first-wicket stand with Nick Compton (79) ended when the latter was caught behind down the leg side off Rana.
Ian Bell came in at number three as Kevin Pietersen chose, like his captain Alastair Cook – to allow others more batting practice after his first-innings hundred.
A series of scampered singles, and two direct hits, were the nearest Haryana came to breaking the partnership as both Trott and Bell narrowly survived third-umpire run-out calls.
There was then a collector’s item sighting of a Trott six, hit straight off Chanderpal Saini as he moved into the 90s, and soon afterwards he completed his four-hour century from 180 balls.
England then lost four wickets for the addition of 33 runs, with ducks for previously in-form pair Patel and Pietersen, before the declaration arrived.
Trott ton guides England towards draw
Jonathan Trott hit a century against Haryana ahead of the first Test against India Jonathan Trott bagged a century as England headed for a probable third successive stalemate in their final warm-up match against Haryana.
Trott’s 101 (retired out) is England’s fifth century in three warm-up fixtures before the first Test against India on Thursday.
Runs have been no problem, on flat pitches, but wickets have been more of a challenge – and after a mid-afternoon declaration on 254 for seven, with a lead of 441, they had little chance of altering that trend on perhaps the least responsive surface of all.
Minor hopes were raised, however, for a morale-boosting victory when Stuart Meaker got rid of first-innings centurion Rahul Dewan for only 13 – and then Samit Patel won a second lbw verdict against Sachin Rana in the hosts’ teatime 73 for two.
Earlier, England chose to bat on longer than most had expected.
They faced less than nine overs of spin for their trouble, from rookie Jayant Yadav rather than Test bowler Amit Mishra – a continued ruse, to starve them of more useful practice, which has been attributed to India’s former England coach Duncan Fletcher.
Trott’s first-wicket stand with Nick Compton (79) ended when the latter was caught behind down the leg-side off Rana.
England’s prospective new Test opener therefore fell short of a century but will still go into his anticipated Test debut on the back of three consecutive 50s.
Ian Bell came in at number three – Kevin Pietersen choosing, like his captain Alastair Cook – to allow others more batting practice after his first-innings hundred.
A series of scampered singles, and two direct hits, were the nearest Haryana came to breaking the partnership as both Trott and Bell narrowly survived third umpire run-out calls.
There was then a collector’s-item sighting of a Trott six, hit straight off Chanderpal Saini as he moved into the 90s, and soon afterwards he completed his four-hour century from 180 balls.
With Matt Prior unluckily run out backing up before lunch, in 45 minutes of increasingly meaningless batting afterwards, England lost four wickets for the addition of 33 runs.
They could have done without ducks for previously in-form pair Patel and Pietersen, but the circumstances ensured neither would dwell on their failure for long as they prepare for the Test series.
Dewan ton frustrates England
Rahul Dewan who scored 143 not out, was dropped by Alastair Cook, pictured, at slip England endured more frustration in the field as Haryana centurion Rahul Dewan carried his bat to shut them out on day three of four in their final warm-up match.
Dewan (143no) gave just one chance, dropped by Alastair Cook at slip on 121, in the hosts’ 334 all out at the Sarwar Patel Stadium B Ground as Haryana replied with substance to 521 all out.
His patience and skill, on the flattest of pitches, never wavered – and England showed signs of weariness in their toil, Nick Compton also flooring a straightforward chance and Matt Prior, back on duty after Friday’s stomach upset, short of his best behind the stumps and responsible for another.
After almost 115 overs in the field, England chose not to enforce the follow-on.
Tim Bresnan again got more than most out of the surface, but even he could not shift accomplished opener Dewan.
Bresnan (three for 66) impressed as England’s most likely wicket-taker on Friday, and got them under way again when he had Sandeep Singh pushing tentatively forward and edging low to Cook at slip.
Cook was in the firing line three more times before lunch.
But the ball evaded his grasp when Amit Mishra twice edged past slip and Dewan, on 87, and again off Jonathan Trott – a rare false shot in a compact and controlled innings.
Mishra was gone relatively soon anyway, turned round by Stuart Meaker and caught behind to give the Surrey seamer his first first-class wicket for England, but Dewan remained to complete his sixth first-class hundred in just over five-and-a-half hours with a cut for his 14th four earning the polite applause of the bowler, Monty Panesar, in acknowledgment.
Meaker (three for 74) doubled up, however, when he got through Jayant Yadav’s defences and knocked over off-stump.
He would have had a third wicket had Prior managed to hold a diving catch down the leg-side to see off Amit Vashisht for just four.
England took the second new ball, and gave it to Bresnan and Graham Onions, but could not get past Dewan or the tail before lunch.
In fact, it took them almost until tea to do so, and even then Dewan himself was unbeaten.
Compton put down Vashisht at point off Onions, a glaring miss but one which cost only five runs before Samit Patel got his man lbw pushing forward.
Dewan had his one escape shortly afterwards, off Meaker, during a ninth-wicket stand of 62 in which number number 10 Chanderpal Saini belied the fact he was playing in only his second first-class match at the age of 25 after a debut just last week – until Meaker had him lbw, and then Kevin Pietersen had last man Sanjay Budhwar caught at gully for nought.
England continue to toil
Tim Bresnan, pictured, took the wicket of Haryana’s Sandeep Singh in England’s final warm-up match Centurion Rahul Dewan continued to defy England on the third morning of their final warm-up match against Haryana at the Sardar Patel Stadium B Ground.
Tim Bresnan again got more than most out of an ultra-placid pitch, but even he could not shift the accomplished opener as England’s hosts moved from 172 for four to 255 for seven in reply to 521 all out.
Bresnan (three for 66) impressed as England’s most likely wicket-taker on Friday, and got them under way again when he had Sandeep Singh pushing tentatively forward and edging low to Alastair Cook at slip.
Cook was in the firing line three more times.
But the ball evaded his grasp when Amit Mishra twice edged past slip and Dewan, on 87, did likewise off Jonathan Trott – a rare false shot in a compact and controlled innings.
Mishra was gone relatively soon anyway, turned round by Stuart Meaker and caught behind to give the Surrey seamer his first first-class wicket for England.
But Dewan (109no) remained to complete his sixth first-class hundred in just over five-and-a-half hours.
He did so with a cut for his 14th four – from the 236th ball he faced – earning the polite applause of the bowler, Monty Panesar, in acknowledgment.
Meaker doubled up, however, when he got through Jayant Yadav’s defences and knocked over off stump and would have had a third wicket had Matt Prior – back on duty after Friday’s stomach upset – managed to hold a diving catch down the leg side to see off Amit Vashisht for just four.
England took the second new ball, and gave it to Bresnan and Graham Onions, but could not get past Dewan or the tail.
They could still hope to bowl their hosts out in time to make the follow-on an option, but were probably unlikely to enforce it – having already bowled 89 overs under cloudless skies and in stamina-sapping temperatures.
Pietersen smashes century in India tour match
Tweet Kevin Pietersen smashed an aggressive century on Thursday as England showed off their batting prowess ahead of next week’s Test series against India.
Pietersen hit 110 off 94 balls as the tourists feasted on Haryana’s weak bowling attack to pile up a massive 408-3 on the opening day of the four-day match in Ahmedabad.
The South African-born star warmed up for the first Test in the same city from November 15 with 16 boundaries and three sixes before retiring to give other players an outing at the crease.
Pietersen was a last-minute addition to the tour squad after making peace with the England management over a text message row that forced his exile from the team in August.
Skipper Alastair Cook followed his 119 in the tour opener in Mumbai with 97, putting on 166 for the first wicket with Nick Compton.
Compton, grandson of former England batsman Denis Compton, almost certainly ensured himself a Test debut in Ahmedabad with a bright knock of 74 that was studded with nine fours and a six.
Ian Bell chipped in with an unbeaten 57 to end a profitable day for the tourists, who are aiming to win their first Test series in India since 1985.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, the only international in Haryana’s team, finished with two for 50 from 11 overs.
England took the field without injured pace bowlers Stuart Broad and Steven Finn, and frontline spinner Graeme Swann, who flew home on Wednesday to attend to his sick baby daughter.
Finn suffered a thigh strain in the tour opener and Broad bruised his left heel in the second practice match, but scans did not reveal any serious injury for either player.
Both Swann and Broad are expected to feature in the first Test, but Finn remains a doubtful starter.
Paceman Stuart Meaker, who was flown in as a precautionary stand-by, was picked for the Haryana game alongside seamers Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan.
Brief scores: England 1st innings: 408-3 (Alastair Cook 97, Nick Compton 74, Kevin Pietersen 110 retired out, Ian Bell 57 not out, Amit Mishra 2-50)
Stuart Broad fitness boost ahead of England v India
Stuart Broad’s hopes of featuring in the first Test against India were boosted on Monday morning when he lead England against Mumbai A, although he was unable to bowl after a scan on his heel injury.
Broad, official vice-captain to Alastair Cook in Tests, has been leading the team in this second tour match on their tour of India.
The fast bowler had to leave the field briefly on Sunday at the Dr DY Patil Sports Stadium, and it was announced after close of play that he would have a scan after feeling discomfort in his left foot.
On the field: Stuart Broad took part in England’s game against Mumbai A The outcome was that he has bruised the joint, but nothing more serious.
He was, however, unable to take the new ball this morning – Graham Onions doing so instead, in partnership with James Anderson.
An England and Wales Cricket Board text update read: ‘Scans show Broad has a bruised left heel.
‘ He is fit to field but won’t bowl today.
Progress will be monitored over next couple of days.’ Success: England players celebrate taking a wicket on Monday morning Broad’s injury is another complication England could do without, just 10 days before the first Test against India, after his fellow seamer Steven Finn also limped out of their opening tour match last week with a thigh strain.
Stuart Meaker has been called in as cover for Finn for the final warm-up match in Ahmedabad, against Haryana on Thursday, as long as visa issues can be settled in time for him to fly from England.
Kevin Pietersen out of England’s World Twenty20 squad
Pietersen not in World Twenty20 squad TALKS …
Kevin Pietersen KEVIN PIETERSEN remains in limited-overs international retirement and was not named in England’s 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20.
Pietersen’s representatives have been in talks with the ECB, hoping a compromise could be brokered that allows the star batsman to return to the shorter formats of international cricket.
But those negotiations have clearly come to nothing with the 31-year-old excluded from the preliminary squad, which will be whittled down to 15 next month ahead of England’s defence of their title in Sri Lanka this September.
Were Pietersen to come out of limited overs retirement before the final squads are submitted on August 18 he could still take part in the tournament.
Among those included in the squad, announced for this afternoon’s mandatory deadline, are England’s one-day international captain Alastair Cook, Surrey off-spinner Gareth Batty and Test wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Provisional squad: Stuart Broad (Capt), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Gareth Batty, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Scott Borthwick, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Steven Croft, Steven Davies, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Graham Onions, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Graeme Swann, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright
Kevin Pietersen out of World Twenty20
Pietersen not in World Twenty20 squad TALKS …
Kevin Pietersen KEVIN PIETERSEN remains in limited-overs international retirement and was not named in England’s 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20.
Pietersen’s representatives have been in talks with the ECB, hoping a compromise could be brokered that allows the star batsman to return to the shorter formats of international cricket.
But those negotiations have clearly come to nothing with the 31-year-old excluded from the preliminary squad, which will be whittled down to 15 next month ahead of England’s defence of their title in Sri Lanka this September.
Were Pietersen to come out of limited overs retirement before the final squads are submitted on August 18 he could still take part in the tournament.
Among those included in the squad, announced for this afternoon’s mandatory deadline, are England’s one-day international captain Alastair Cook, Surrey off-spinner Gareth Batty and Test wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Provisional squad: Stuart Broad (Capt), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Gareth Batty, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Scott Borthwick, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Steven Croft, Steven Davies, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Graham Onions, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Graeme Swann, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright
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