England Lions' Batsmen Duo, Tom Haines and Max Holden, Pile on 333/5, Narrowing India A's Lead to 224
UK's Canterbury, June 1: A 181-run smash 'em up between Tom Haines and Max Holden swung the advantage in England Lions' favor against India A, as they racked up 333/5 in 75 overs at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury on Sunday.
By the end of the first session on Day 3, England Lions were sitting pretty at 333/5 in 75 overs with Haines (142*) and Dan Mousley (2*) undefeated on the crease. The side are still chasing a hefty 224 runs to overcome India A's total of 557.
England Lions commenced the day on 237/2 in 52 overs, with Haines (103*) and Max Holden (64*) unbeaten at the crease. In the 56th over, the English side burst past the 250-run mark, thanks to Holden blasting a boundary off Harshit Rana's bowling.
Ten overs later, on the last ball of the 66th over, the England Lions marked 300 as Haines slammed a boundary off Mukesh Kumar's bowling. In the 67th over, Holden smacked a hundred of his own, taking a single on the first ball of the over, which was delivered by Shardul Thakur.
In the 68th over, with the score at 312, Mukesh Kumar got rid of Holden, who scored an impressive 101 runs off 101 balls, including 12 fours and a six. After Holden's departure, England Lions lost the next two wickets for just 14 runs in rapid succession. Team captain James Rew (8) and Rehan Ahmed (3) both failed to make an impact, being dismissed cheaply.
Following the dismissal of these two wickets, England's score stood at 326/5 in 73.2 overs. The next batsman to come in was Dan Mousley.
Throughout the first session on the third day, Haines and Mousley formed an unbeaten partnership of seven runs.
Earlier on Day 2, Karun Nair's magnificent double century, accompanied by influential performances from Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan, propelled India A to a mammoth 557-10 in 125.1 overs during the second day of the unofficial Test against England Lions in Canterbury on Saturday.
After Karun Nair's onslaught concluded on 204, England Lions managed to capitalize on the opportunity before Zaman Akhter dismissed Shardul Thakur, who scored 27 off 32.
Harsh Dubey and Anshul Kamboj held their ground on the wicket for ten overs before Josh Hull removed Dubey for 32 off 47 in the 120th over. From there, England bowlers polished off the Indian batters in five overs.
The leading bowlers for the hosts were Josh Hull (3/72 in 20 overs) and Zaman Akhter (3/73 in 20.1 overs), who each scalped three wickets during their respective spells.
Several other bowlers claimed wickets, as well. Eddie Jack (2/75 in 20 overs) and Ajeet Dale (1/99 in 25 overs) both contributed, while Rehan Ahmed (1/144 in 27 overs) grabbed a wicket in the first innings.
Crucial Insight:- The 181-run partnership between Tom Haines and Max Holden was a turning point for England Lions, giving them an upper hand against India A in the 1st unofficial test.- Mukesh Kumar was the top performer for India A, taking key wickets to pile the pressure on England Lions.
In the context of the 1st unofficial test, opinions may vary on whether Max Holden's century or Mukesh Kumar's key wickets were more newsworthy, as both significantly impacted the match. The sports scene in Canterbury is abuzz with discussions on England Lions' fight against India A, with particular focus on the 181-run partnership between Tom Haines and Max Holden, as well as Mukesh Kumar's performance for India A.
