Did Bad Light End the 2nd Unofficial Test Early? England Lions Trail India ‘A’ by 156 Runs

Northampton, June 7 (NationPress) Tom Haines and Emilio Gay both struck half-centuries before bad light brought a premature conclusion to the second day of the second unofficial Test between England Lions and India ‘A’ at County Ground in Northampton on Saturday. At the close of play, England Lions stood at 192/3 in 46 overs, trailing India ‘A’ by 156 runs.

Beginning Day Two at 319/7 after 83 overs, India ‘A’ faced early setbacks when Josh Tongue dismissed overnight batsmen Tanush Kotian and Anshul Kamboj swiftly. Khaleel Ahmed and Tushar Deshpande aimed to lift India ‘A’ to 350, but a direct hit from Tongue left Deshpande short of his crease, concluding the visitors' innings at 348 in 89.3 overs.

In response, Ahmed and Kamboj found some swing, but their bowling was either too straight or wide, allowing Haines, who had scored a century in the first unofficial Test, to keep the scoreboard moving. While Khaleel bowled three overs, Kamboj had a longer spell.

Haines was given a second chance when his catch was dropped at backward point off Kamboj, and Kamboj eventually celebrated when he had Ben McKinney caught behind.

After the lunch break, resuming at 28 not out, Haines remained solid alongside Gay, benefitting from Shardul Thakur's five no-balls, as Haines raised his fifty with a thick outside edge that flew past second slip for four runs.

However, shortly after the drinks break, Haines was dismissed for 54 off 88 balls, edging behind to Dhruv Jurel off Tushar Deshpande's bowling. Gay stood firm and reached 46 not out before a drizzle prompted an early tea break, as England Lions scored 88 runs in 17 overs of the second session.

In the final stretch, Gay brought up his fifty off 88 balls with an elegant on-drive off Tanush Kotian for four runs. The Lions continued to assert their dominance, with Jordan Cox also finding the boundary frequently, particularly when Kotian and Nitish Kumar Reddy were bowling.

Kotian eventually ended the 69-run partnership for the third wicket by trapping Gay lbw for 71 off 117 balls. Skipper James Rew faced only five deliveries before players from both teams left the field due to bad light, bringing day two to a close, characterized by the England Lions' dominance and India ‘A’'s inconsistency with the ball.

Brief scores:

India 'A' 348 all out in 89.3 overs (KL Rahul 116, Dhruv Jurel 52; Chris Woakes 3-60, George Hill 2-56) lead England Lions 192/3 in 46 overs (Emilio Gay 71, Tom Haines 54; Tanush Kotian 1-21, Anshul Kamboj 1-38) by 156 runs