Kent pair star as England win
Wednesday 11th April 2012
Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond and all-rounder Adam Ball were part of the England Under 19′s side that comprehensively beat India on Monday.
The England Under-19s secured an exciting four-wicket win over India with two balls remaining to set up a Quadrangular Series semi-final with the same opponents on Friday.
Adam Ball’s side chased 269 at Townsville’s Endeavour Park to make it three round-robin wins from three. They therefore finished top of the group, with the reward of facing winless India again for a place in Sunday’s final.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes underpinned the pursuit with 93 from 107 deliveries, including eight fours, and Craig Overton guided England home with a 67-ball 68 not out.
Although Rush Kalari had Sam Kelsall caught behind for 12, fellow opening batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond continued his fine form with 55 from 56 balls, sharing a second-wicket stand of 78 with Foakes.
Bell-Drummond fell in the same fashion as Kelsall, to Vikas Mishra, and Baba Aparajith soon bowled Shiv Thakor to leave England 124 for three.
Foakes and Overton combined for 91 until the former perished to Unmukt Chand. Anish Kapil rotated the strike well before being bowled by Mohsin Sayyed for 25.
Ball was run out for six, but Overton and Sam Wood completed the job off Chand.
Manan Vohra earlier dominated a first-wicket partnership of 56 until Ball, who had won the toss, removed Akhil Herwadkar for 17.
Shozair Ali snared Vohra for 52 from 62 balls and England continued to chip away at India when Thakor ran Chand out for 28.
Vijay Zol and Akshdeep Nath rallied with an alliance worth 66, but Ball sent the former on his way for 60 from 69 deliveries.
Kapil then struck twice in two balls with the score on 212, having Aparajith and Kumar Deobrat caught behind. Kapil, who took 3-46 from nine overs, had a third when Smith Patel went in the same manner.
As India pressed for late runs, Wood dismissed Kamal Passi and Kalaria to leave England’s opponents nine down with Nath unbeaten on 62 from 58 balls.