CROYDON, England, CMC – Lower-order half-centuries from Dave Bernard Jr and Gavin Tonge earned West Indies-A a high-scoring draw in the second and final four-day “Test” against India-A yesterday.
Bernard scored 70 and Tonge made 54, to follow-up sound hundreds from A-Team captain Devon Smith and compatriot Andre Fletcher the previous day, as Windies-A were dismissed just before the scheduled close for 563, replying to India-A’s first innings total of 543 for eight declared, on the final day at Whitgift School.
The result meant that India-A won the two-“Test” series 1-0, after they won the opening “Test” by six wickets last Sunday at Grace Road.
Bernard struck five fours and four sixes in his 84-ball innings, and Tonge clattered six fours and two sixes from 95 balls. The pair added 51 for the ninth wicket to extend the A-Team’s innings into the final session.
West Indies-A had continued from their overnight total of 332 for three, and the overnight pair of Smith and Kirk Edwards carried them over the 400-run threshold in a stand for the fourth wicket of 123.
Edwards was caught behind off left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla for 40 to trigger a slide that sent Windies-A crashing from 402 for four to 413 for seven.
Smith was lbw to Shikhar Dhawan for 170 that included 22 fours from 312 balls, Chadwick Walton was stumped off Iqbal for four, and Imran Khan was caught off the same bowler for a duck.
Andre Russell came to the crease, and was a passenger in a 64-run, eighth-wicket stand with Bernard before he was caught off leg-spinner Manoj Tiwary for 17.
Bernard then carried West Indies-A to within reach of the lead with Tonge before he gave a return catch to Tiwary.
Tonge continued to indulge himself, passed 50, and took West Indies-A into the lead with Lionel Baker before he was last out, caught off Jaidev Unadkat, who finished with three for 100 from 37.4 overs to be the pick of the India-A bowlers.
Iqbal ended with three for 128 from 50 overs, and Tiwary took two for 72 from 24 overs.
West Indies-A now meet Ireland in two One-day matches on Wednesday and Friday in Belfast before taking part in a three-way series with the Indians and England-A (commonly referred to as England Lions).
Scoreboard
INDIA-A 1st Innings
543 for eight declared
(Cheteshwar Pujara 208 not out; Andre Russell 5-97)
WEST INDIES A 1st innings
(overnight 332 for three)
K. Brathwaite lbw b Unadkat 3
O. Phillips b Jaskaran Singh 22
A. Fletcher c Pandey b Unadkat 123
*D. Smith lbw b Dhawan 170
K. Edwards c wkpr Saha b Iqbal Abdulla 40
+C. Walton st Saha b Iqbal Abdulla 4
D. Bernard c and b Tiwary 70
I. Khan c Mukund b Iqbal Abdulla 0
A. Russell c Pujara b Tiwary 17
G. Tonge c Dhawan b Unadkat 54
L. Baker not out 2
Extras (b26, lb11, w1, nb20) 58
TOTAL (all out, 169.4 overs) 563
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Brathwaite), 2-54 (Phillips), 3-279 (Fletcher), 4-402 (Edwards), 5-402 (Smith), 6-411 (Walton), 7-413 (Khan), 8-477 (Russell), 9-528 (Bernard)
Bowling: Kulkarni 30-6-111-0, Unadkat 37.4-9-100-3, Jaskaran Singh 23-3-97-1, Iqbal Abdulla 50-9-128-3, Tiwary 24-1-72-2, Dhawan 5-1-18-1
Result: Match drawn
Series: India-A win two-match series 1-0
Umpires: M. Bodenham, R. Illingworth
