England Draw Final Tour Match

England Draw Final Tour Match

Tim Bresnan took two wickets for England XI on the final day in Ahmedabad.

©Action Images / Ed Sykes

England XI 521 & 254-6d (Trott 101) drew with
Haryana 334 & 133-6 (Bresnan 2-13)
Tour Match, Ahmedabad, Day Four

England didn’t put too much effort into trying to force a win on the final day of their warm-up match, and shook hands with the Haryana players with 10 overs still to be bowled despite needing only four more wickets to win.

They had earlier declined to declare until having passed 250 in their second innings, leaving Haryana an impossible 442 to win from around two sessions.

England’s batsmen were again not troubled by a Haryana attack, which again restricted its use of spin bowling, presumably at the request of the Indian management. Jonathan Trott retired at 101 and took his first-wicket partnership with Nick Compton to 162, before the latter was caught behind off Sachin Rana for 79.

Compton then went straight to the nets, perhaps in search of some practice against bowling of the spin variety. Indeed the nets were where most of day’s meaningful action occurred. Steven Finn and Stuart Broad both bowled long spells as they looked close to full fitness, with Finn in particular appearing fit and ready to go in the first Test. England also expect Graeme Swann to return to India tomorrow - he has been in England with his ill daughter - so things may just about fall into place in time for Thursday.

Wicket-keeper Nitin Saini made a composed 50 in the Haryana run chase as England’s second-string attack enjoyed another good workout. Stuart Meaker was again the quickest on view and dismissed first innings centurion Rahul Dewan for 13, while Tim Bresnan was accurate, and Graham Onions much improved from his mediocre first innings showing.

© Cricket World 2012