Rest score easy victory

Off-spinner Dharmi Chand scalped seven wickets as Rest of India won the three-day cricket match against the England under-19 team by ten wickets, with half a day to spare, at the MIG Club in Bombay on Saturday.

The Karnataka lad, who had take five for 65 in the first innings, mesmerised the visitors with accurate bowling and restricted them to a paltry 155 all out off 68.2 overs in their second innings, after being 11 for 2 overnight.

Chand, who returned with second innings figures of 7 for 65, had a match haul of 12 wickets for 130 runs.

Needing just 46 runs for an outright victory, Rest reached the target without losing any wicket, with openers Arindam Das (22 not out off 37 balls) and Gaganinder Singh (24 not out off 32 balls) rattling off the runs off just 11.3 overs.

None of the English boys were able to tackle spin. Rest skipper Kashinath Khadkikar added to their misery, claiming three wickets for 35 runs.

At one stage, the visitors, needing 112 runs to avoid an innings defeat were 101 for seven before tailenders Robert Ferley (33 off 53 balls with five fours) and Mark Wallace (9 off 41 balls) added 16 runs for the eight wicket.

Ferley along with Justin Bishop (14 off 28 balls with three fours) added another 34 runs for the ninth wicket to prolong the innings before being all out for 155.

The four-day England-India first Test will start at the Wankhede stadium from January 9.

Scoreboard

England (1st innings): 210 all out

India (1st innings): 321 for seven declared

England (2nd innings): (overnight 11 for two)
J Sadler c S Lazarus b D Chand 8
G Pratt b D Chand 0
A McGarry Lbw D Chand 0
I Bell st P Patel b K Khadkikar 29
K Ali st P Patel b Khadkikar 16
I Pattison c K Khadkikar b D Chand 25
G Muchal c A Das b D Chand 13
M Wallace b K Khadkikar 9
R Ferley st P Patel b D Chand 33
J Bishop c M Mishra b D Chand 14
M Panesar (not out) 0
Extras: (3-b, 2-nb, 3-w) 8
Total: (all out off 68.2 overs) 155
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-6, 3-25, 4-57, 5-70, 6-88, 7-101, 8-117, 9-151.
Bowling: Gagandeep Singh 6-3-9-0, Dharmi Chand 26.2-6-65-7, Tushar Saha 11-3-31-0, Steve Lazarus 4-1-12-0, Kashinath Khadkikar 21-10-35-3.

India (2nd innings):
Arindam Das (not out) 22
Gaganinder Singh (not out) 24
Extras: 0.
Total: (for no loss) 46
Bowling: Andrew Mcgarry 2-0-10-0, Justin Bishop 3-2-11-0, Monty Panesar 4-1-9-0, Robert Ferley 2.3-0-16-0.

Mail Cricket Editor