Scorecard
Commentary
(moved by wishes of Cloete
)
Cricket Web Colts v England A
at Goffmouth Park
The Colts shook England A somewhat, and took them to a second innings, but ultimately the menacing new-ball spell of Sajid Mahmood on the dark first afternoon proved the clincher at Goffmouth. Vikram Solanki had chosen to have first use of a fine wicket in good weather, and the Colts' seamers toiled without success - conceding 86 for the first wicket, when Tarick Weber broke through with his eighth delivery for the Colts to have Alastair Cook caught in the deep. However, that was the Colts' only wicket in the morning sesion, and though wickets slowly followed, England A always managed to find vital partnerships. Alex Wharf continued his fine form with the bat, adding 59 in a masterful stand with Rikki Clarke, and though the spinners broke through at the end and Weber marked his debut by taking five for 92.
What followed must be said to be Sajid Mahmood's best moment with the new ball in England colours. As James Anderson was taken about for runs and bowling erratically, Mahmood got the ball to swing away from the batsmen, causing disarray in the Colts' top order. Pitt (caught Read 8), Burke (bowled 10), Nayak (c Clarke 5) and Jasotharan (c Plunkett 4) all were victims on the first evening, and he also managed to trap James Malthus-Howell with a yorker to end a 36-run stand between him and Daniel Towns. After brief cameos from Arunava Das (27) and Dan Rai (25), the Colts were left to bat once again, as Solanki enforced the follow on.
This time, Colts fought back better. After Anderson had gone through Burke's defence, Matt Pitt and Gary Nayak embarked on their bowler domination - slogging Anderson and Mahmood out of the attack, the pair added 87 quickly, before Pitt was lbw to Wharf. Then followed another middle order collapse, including a Jasotharan golden duck, and Colts were 147 for 6 - and staring the possibility of an innings defeat in the eye. However, Tom Bowman stuck around with Nayak to make 36, and despite the other innings coming to an all too brief end, Nayak managed an unbeaten 121, out of 246.
Bowman did have a much better day this time around than on his first day of cricket. With little pressure, he got the balls to zip in the right area, showing genuine seam bowling talent - both Cook and Joyce perished to outside edges landing either in the slips or in Stephen Burke's safe pair of gloves. However, Vikram Solanki and Rikki Clarke added 49 for the fourth wicket to take England A to the brink, and despite a late slog by Solanki off Nayak, England A eased to a six-wicket win.
England A 341 all out
Cricket Web Colts 152 all out
Cricket Web Colts 246 all out (following on)
England A 58 for 4
England A won by six wickets
Man of the Match: Sajid Mahmood