The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Yardy plays a captain’s innings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Yardy plays a captain’s innings

Special Correspondent

VADODARA: Michael Yardy is turning into a worthy investment for English cricket. The England Lions skipper, part of a squad sent here to learn on the job about adjusting to Indian wickets and conditions, scored an unbeaten century to help his side end the opening day of the Duleep Trophy contest against West Zone here on Monday at a healthy 273 for four.

Yardy’s stay at the wicket calmed his teammates’ nerves. He batted for 353 minutes, hitting 20 fours, ending the day unbeaten on 151. West, going into the game needing an outright win, was at the receiving end. Ashraf Makhda, included in place of Munaf Patel, bowled his heart out for West, claiming three for 57 in 16 overs of sustained, accurate bowling.

“I stuck to line and length. If the batsmen made mistakes, they suffered,” the Gujarat pace bowler said. Michael Carberry was beaten by movement and trapped leg before. Ed Joyce and Jon Trott were dismissed in the same manner.

Useful partnerships

England Lions prospered as its skipper put on substantial partnerships with Joyce and Trott. Joyce and Yardy put on 75 runs for the third wicket while Trott was involved in a 141-run stand with his skipper. Trott, however, was dismissed just before close of play. Joe Denly was unlucky, as a Yardy drive deflected off Siddharth Trivedi’s hand to take out the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

The Lions captain, a member of England’s Champions Trophy 2007 team, walked in at the first wicket but played a determined knock to keep the West Zone bowlers at bay. Yardy played the late cut, flicked off the hips to mid-wicket and drove fluently during his patient innings. Yardy also used the sweep effectively against the spinners. Yardy reached his century off 212 balls with a boundary.

Off-spinner Ramesh Powar bowled 21 overs and was assisted by left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhruv (13). West Zone replaced Rakesh Solanki with Wasim Jaffer.

England Lions — 1st innings: M. Carberry lbw A. Makhda 1, J. Denly (run out) 32, M. Yardy (batting) 151, Ed Joyce lbw A. Makhda 32, J. Trott lbw b A Makhda 44, G. Onions (batting) 0; Extras (b-4, lb-8, nb-1): 13; Total (for four wkts. in 92 overs): 273.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-51, 3-126, 4-267.

West Zone bowling: Trivedi 17-0-50-0, Makhda 16-3-57-3, Jobanputra 8-3-22-0, Powar 21-1-59-0, Dhruv 13-2-38-0, Pathan 15-6-24-0, Rahane 2-0-11-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport