Mayank century helps India A to victory
Mon 25 Jun 2018
RESULT | Tri-Series Game 3: India A 222 for 3 beat West Indies A 221 by 7 wickets
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REPORT | India A comfortably chased down their target of 222 to open their Tri-Series account against West Indies A at the Fischer County Ground.
Deepak Chahar took 5 for 27 to restrict the Windes to 221 before Mayank Agarwal struck a century and Shubnam Gill (pictured) made an unbeaten 58 to steer his side to victory.
West Indies won the toss and elected to bat but were on the back foot from the get-go as Jermaine Blackwood edged Deepak Chahar to Prithvi Shaw at first slip, second ball.
Andre McCarthy joined opener Chandrapaul Hemraj but, after hitting two boundaries down the ground, he also fell to Chahar by edging the seamer to wicket-keeper Rishbah Pant.
West Indies Captain Jason Mohammed joined Hemraj and they added 72 runs for the third wicket, both playing some lovely shots especially down the ground.
A miscommunication ended the partnership as Mohammed hit a cover drive into the deep, Hemraj (45) wanted a second, but was stranded due to Shubman Gill’s direct hit.
Mohammed was the next wicket to fall as edged seamer Vijay Shankar to Pant for 31. The West Indies innings was looking in a precarious position as regular wickets fell. Rovman Powell looked set but on 24 Chahar trapped him leg before wicket.
West Indies went from 132-4 to 156-8, Chahar returning superb figures from his allocation.
The final wicket offered resistance for the West Indies as Chemar Holder (6) hung around with wicket-keeper Devon Thomas who was unbeaten on 64 when the innings ended with Holder being bowled by Khaleel Ahmed for 6.
Prithvi Shaw and Agarwal opened the batting for India A, Shaw batted positively and made a bright 27 with 24 of his runs coming in boundaries before he hit Holder straight to mid-wicket.
Agarwal, who hit a century at the FCG last week, continued to enjoy batting here on what was another tremendous surface.
For the second time batting at the venue, Agarwal reached three figures as India A cruised towards their target. The opener was eventually dismissed for 110 (101 b, 11x4, 2x6) with his side requiring just 38 runs to win.
India A went to victory by seven wickets as Rishabh Pant played an entertaining knock smashing 18 from just 10 balls (1x4, 2x6), Gill was the other unbeaten batsman, finishing with 59* with five boundaries.
England Lions now meet India A at the Fischer County Ground tomorrow, and the Lions can book their place in the Final if they emerge victorious.
* Tickets for England Lions v India A cost just £5 for adults and £1 for Under 16s and are available on the gates tomorrow.
