Ryan Davies hits 73 in vital stand for England U19s
Thursday 6th August 2015
Kent's Ryan Davies hit 73 for England Under 19s in a vital 144-run stand with Aaron Thomason to ensure their four-day match against Australia U19s would go down to the wire.
Thomason (pictured above left, with Davies) was dropped at second slip in the fourth over of the day off Richardson, and then again six overs later in the gully off David Grant.
Davies also had the odd streaky moment, reaching a 75-ball 50 with a thick edge to third man off Grant.
But the Kent wicketkeeper batsman played plenty of authentic strokes in making 73 from 108 balls, including a straight six off Sam Grimwade, before he edged Grant to first slip where Will Pucovski made no mistake.
Thomason, a combative all-rounder from Warwickshire who made several handy contributions in England’s one-day series in Australia earlier in the year, fell four overs later, lbw to Fletcher Seymour for 67 from 139 balls with 10 fours.
Richardson then returned to bowl Ben Green with a delivery as good as the one that had accounted for Callum Taylor on Wednesday, to leave England on 329 for eight.
But Australia’s hopes of polishing off the England innings quickly to secure a substantial first-innings lead were further frustrated by Matt Parkinson, who followed his six wickets by making an unbeaten 32 in almost two hours, sharing partnerships of 36 with Jared Warner and 27 with Saqib Mahmood.
Mahmood did not take the field when Australia began their second innings as the England coaching staff played safe after he had suffered a calf strain on Tuesday, with the priority of ensuring the Lancashire bowler’s fitness for the five-match one-day series that starts at South Northumberland CC next Tuesday.
Thomason shared the new ball with Warner but there was frustration for the Yorkshireman when he had the left-handed Caleb Jewell well caught by Davies in his second over – only to see that the umpire Michael Gough was signalling no-ball.
England bowled with more control than they had in the first innings, and Green broke an opening stand of 56 in 24 overs when he had Jonte Pattinson edging to Thomason at first slip.
Parkinson had Jordan Gauci, one of Australia’s first-innings centurions, dropped at leg slip in single figures but it did not prove costly as he was lbw to the Lancashire legspinner a couple of overs later.
Parkinson then produced a classic googly to win another lbw decision against Pukovski in the last over of the day, leaving Australia on 91 for three, with a lead of 145 – opening up the possibility of an interesting final day. Jewell capitalised on his early let-off to reach a tidy unbeaten 38.