Gnaneshwara Rao slams unbeaten ton as Rest take lead

Middle order batsman Gnaneshwara Rao slammed an unbeaten 123 off 205 balls as Rest of India declared their first innings on 321 for seven, on the second day of the three-day cricket match against the England under-19 team at the MIG Club in Bombay on Friday.

The English boys were in a spot by the end of the day, losing two wickets with just 11 runs on the board in their second innings, after conceeding a 111-run first innings lead.

The two overnight not out batsmen Gaganinder Singh (62 off 120 balls, with 12 fours) and skipper Kashinath khadkikar (36 off 87 balls, with five fours) put on 87 runs for the third wicket and provided a solid launching pad for the lower order batsmen.

Rao, who cut and drove at will, added 100 runs for the sixth wicket, in 40.2 overs in 149 minutes, with left hand batsman Maninder Singh (25).

The Andhra lad, who stayed at the wicket for 242 minutes, hitting 17 fours and two sixes, added another 81 runs for the unbroken eighth wicket with southpaw Steve Lazarus (20 off 34 balls with a four and a six) before the declaration came.

Left arm spinner Robert Ferley took four wickets for 71 runs while left arm seamer Justin Bishop got two wickets for 52 runs.

Rest, who are ahead by exactly 100 runs, put pressure on the visitors by bringing first innings bowling hero off-spinner Dharmi Chand on in the second over of the visitors' second innings and the Karnataka lad proved his worth by picking both the wickets to fall before the close.

Scoreboard

England (1st innings): 210 all out

India (1st innings): (overnight 47 for two)
A Das c J Sadler b J Bishop 4
G Singh c A Ali b R Ferley 62
M Mishra c A Ali b J Bishop 1
K Khadkikar c I Bell b R Ferley 36
P Patel b R Ferley 0
G D Rao (not out) 123
M Singh c M Wallace b I Bell 25
G Singh lbw R Ferley 9
S Lazarus (not out) 20
Extras: (6-b, 8-lb, 23-nb, 4-wd) 41
Total: (for seven wickets declared) 321
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-27, 3-114, 4-114, 5-120, 6-220, 7-240.
Bowling: A McGarry 16-1-57-0, J Bishop 18-3-52-2, I Pattison 10-4-31-0, M Panesar 20-9-59-0, R Ferley 23-6-71-4, G Muchal 7-0-27-0, I Bell 4-1-10-1.

England (2nd innings):
J Sadler (not out) 5
G Pratt b D Chand 0
A McGarry b D Chand 0
I Bell (not out) 2
Extras: (2-b, 2-w) 4
Total: (for two wickets) 11
Bowling: G Singh 3-1-6-0, D Chand 4-3-1-2, T Saha 1-0-2-0.

Mail Cricket Editor