Sports
Suryavanshi produces the fireworks as India Under-19s rout England
India’s 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 48 from just 19 balls as India’s Under-19 side made short work of beating England in the first of five Youth ODIs at Hove.
Suryavanshi, who became the youngest-ever century maker in men’s T20 when he hit 101 off 38 balls for Rahajasthan Royals in the IPL earlier this year, made a startling debut to competitive cricket in England, putting on 71 in 7.3 overs with his captain, Ayush Mhatre as England were overwhelmed, losing by six wickets with 26 overs to spare.
The young India side have made a memorable start to their tour of England. Three days earlier they had won another 50-over game, against a Young Lions Invitational XI at Loughborough, by 231 runs.
Here, Suryavanshi was the star attraction, bludgeoning five sixes and three fours. Jack Home’s first over cost 21 runs as the left-hander top-edged his pull shot for six before driving over mid-on and pulling to cow corner for other sixes. But when slow left-armer Ralphie Albert came on Suryavanshi immediately skied to point.
It was a different game after that, with India losing three more wickets before crossing the line, keeper Abhigyan Kundu leading the way with an unbeaten 45.
England had been bowled out for a disappointing 174 in 42.2 overs, with only Rocky Flintoff (56) and Issac Mohammed (42) reaching the 20 mark.
There was a constant cloud cover and a green tinge to the pitch but it was India’s spinners, Mohamed Enaan and Kanishk Chouhan, who caused most problems, sharing five wickets and proving the most economical of the bowlers.
England, who had chosen to bat, had started so positively, with Ben Dawkins and Isaac putting on an aggressive 39 for the fist wicket. The left-handed Isaac, one of two debutants in the team, along with French, was particularly exciting, pulling Henil Patel over square-leg for the first of his four sixes – there were also three fours in his 28-ball innings.
The 17-year-old is related to England’s Moeen Ali and Worcestershire’s assistant head coach Kadeer Ali. He signed a three-year contract for Worcestershire from the Warwickshire Academy earlier this month.
England lost their first wicket in the eighth over when Dawkins edged to first slip. But Isaac responded by striking Yudhajit Guha for successive sixes to bring up the 50 in the ninth over. Isaac then pulled Enaan over square-leg and out of the ground for another six. But three balls later he was caught at backward square-leg going for another big hit.
Flintoff, the youngest player to score a century for the side, again looked in fine form. But his efforts were compromised by the constant fall of wickets at the other end. Ben Mayes looked in good touch when he drove through mid-on for four, but he was caught behind next ball to make it 80 for three and then captain Tom Rew was caught behind third ball.
Flintoff, unsure whether to stick or twist, waited for some decent company but it didn’t arrive. Joe Moores and Albert fell cheaply to the off-spin of Chouhan and then Home was run out for five to make it 129 for seven. Flintoff was finally forced to hit out, and there were three sixes and three fours in his 90-ball innings before he was last out, going for another heave.
Brief scores:
India U19 178 for 4 in 24 overs (Ayush Mhatre 21, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 48, Abhigyan Kundu 45*; AM French 2-45) beat England U19 174 in 42.2 overs (Rocky Flintoff 56, Issac Mohammed 42; Kanishk Chouhan 3-20, Mohamed Ennan 2-37, RS Ambrish 2-24, Henil Patel 2-41) by six wickets
[Cricinfo]
South Africa won their first T20I in eight attempts (outside of World Cups) against West Indies to take the lead in the three-match series. Crucially, their captain Aiden Markram, fresh off a SA20 hundred, reached his highest T20I score of 86 not out and could not have chosen a better time to find form. After struggling through most of the last 18 months in this format, Markram appeared in fine touch and hit nine fours and three sixes, and faced only eight dot balls in a dominant performance.
Chasing a reasonably challenging total of 174, Markram combined with Lhuan dre Pretorius and Ryan Rickelton for partnerships of 83 and 93 respectively, which meant South Africa’s powerful middle-order could take the night off. South Africa sealed the win with 13 balls to spare.
West Indies lacked any stands of similar significance. While Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell shared a sixth-wicket stand of 74, there were no other partnerships that reached 40 as West Indies lost batters too often. Hetmyer top-scored with 48 while South Africa’s left-arm spin duo of George Linde and Keshav Maharaj took five wickets between them.
West Indies were off to a flying start thanks to Brandon King’s 23 off 14 balls and an opening stand of 39 inside four overs, but South Africa struck quickly to peg them back. Maharaj bowled Johnson Charles before King got down on one knee to sweep Corbin Bosch and played the ball onto his stumps to begin a trend. Sherfane Rutherford was unable to build on his SA20 form and when Maharaj found turn and bounce, he fended and chopped on as West Indies closed out the powerplay on 57 for 3. Then, in the 12th over, stand-in captain Roston Chase, playing in his 50th T20I, tried to hit Linde over cover and played on, and West Indies were 95 for 5.
Though Maharaj took two wickets early on, he was on the receiving end of some of West Indies’ biggest hits from Hetmyer. With West Indies’ 100 up in the 14th over, Hetmyer decided to up the ante, advanced on Maharaj and hit him 102 metres into the Paarl night for his first six. Two balls later, Hetmyer came down the track again, and sent the ball into the wind and over deep midwicket for a second six. Maharaj’s final over cost 16 runs and he finished with figures of 2 for 44 in four overs, the most expensive of his T20I career. Hetmyer was dismissed when Dewald Brevis caught him off Linde.
It’s been a while since someone has drooled over Markram’s drives, with the captain in patchy T20I form over much of the last 18 months, but the signs of old were there from the opening over of the chase. Matthew Forde served up bread and butter for Markram with a wide half-volley second ball. Markram drove through the covers and four was the result. Two balls later, Forde took pace off but kept it full and Markram had all the time in the world to cream the ball past extra cover. And then, to end the over, Markram was on his front foot punching the ball through the covers for a third boundary. For good measure, his fourth four was off Jayden Seales and aerial as he showed off his full range. He raced to 31 off 15 in the powerplay and shared a big stand with Pretorius to set South Africa up well.
After being dropped, recalled, and then given a new position at No. 3, Rickelton had a golden opportunity to learn about his new role with less pressure after the start the openers had.
Pretorius was dismissed in the eighth over when he slog swept Chase to midwicket. Rickelton took an over to get his eye in and then reverse-swept Chase for four, and in Chase’s next over, he slog swept him over midwicket. Though he mistimed a few, Rickelton found his touch with a swivel-pull off Seales for his second six. This – 40 not out – was Rickelton’s highest score in six T20I innings and third-highest overall.
Brief scores:
South Africa 176 for 1 in 17.5 overs (Aiden Markram 86*, Lhuan dre Pretorius 44, Ryan Rickelton 40*; Roston Chase 1-31) beat West Indies 173 for 7 in 20 overs (Brandon King 27, Johnson Charles 13, Matthew Forde 16, Roston Chase 22, Shimron Hetmyer 48, Rovman Powell 29*; George Linde 3-25, Corbin Bosch 2-35, Keshav Maharaj 2-44) by nine wickets
[Cricinfo]
(a) not having been taken in the Player Auction and
(b) not having withdrawn from the Player Auction process.
New Zealand began in a poor manner losing Marco Alpe for just 2. However, the second wicket partnership carried them to 59/1 inside 8 overs to give New Zealand an excellent platform. From thereon, New Zealand lost their last 9 wickets for just 51 runs in quite an extraordinary manner. The well-set Hugo Bogue’s dismissal triggered the collapse as Abdul Subhan and Ali Raza tormented New Zealand. The duo combined to pick seven wickets as the New Zealand innings came to an end as early as in the 29th over.
New Zealand Under 19s 110 in 28.3 overs (Hugo Bogue 39; Abdul Subhan 4/11, Ali Raza 3/36) lost to Pakistan Under 19s 112/2 in 17.1 overs (Sameer Minhas 76*; Mason Clarke 1/34) by 8 wickets
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