England ride their luck
in run spree

England's frontline batsmen cashed in on their luck as they acclimatised to Indian conditions on Monday, making 370 for five in the drawn tour opener against the Mumbai Cricket Association President's XI.

Nasser Hussain's team ended the two-day warm-up on 370 for five after the local side had declared on their overnight score of 373 for five.

Michael Vaughan was the only man to miss out, dismissed for two, although Hussain and Graham Thorpe needed some good fortune to prolong their stays at the crease, both dropped twice.

All-rounder Craig White top-scored with 79 not out from 72 balls in the final session.

Opener Marcus Trescothick (60) and Mark Butcher (33) set the trend before Hussain (70) and Thorpe (45) followed suit against Mumbai's spinners.

The England skipper smashed three sixes and dominated their 111-run fourth-wicket stand before both retired at tea.

Thorpe was grassed at slip and mid-on when he was on seven and 12 and Hussain was reprieved at forward short-leg against off-spinner Ramesh Powar on 40.

Having added another run he was again let off by Nilesh Kulkarni at mid-off, driving uppishly at leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule.

But Hussain continued batting aggressively, twice hoisting Kulkarni straight for six, in between smashing Powar over extra cover and out of the ground. He also struck seven fours in his 125-ball innings.

Thorpe gradually grew in confidence, hitting four fours in his 83-ball effort.

Mark Ramprakash also looked the part in scoring 58 not out.

With England on 232 for three at tea, he and White rattled up 138 runs for the sixth wicket.

White, plagued by back problems during the English summer, lashed five sixes, three of them in an over by left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni which went for 25 runs. He also hit seven fours.

Trescothick had almost matched White's fireworks, his 60 coming off 68 deliveries and including three sixes and six fours.

He hooked medium-pacer Avishkar Salvi for his first six and then lofted Kulkarni straight down the field for two more in successive deliveries to complete his fifty.

He used the sweep shot frequently, but the shot proved his undoing as he lofted off-spinner Powar to Vinod Kambli at short midwicket.

England move to Hyderabad to play the first of two three-day games against the Indian Cricket Board President's XI from Thursday.

Mail Cricket Editor