England U-19 v India U-19, 1st Test, Canterbury, 1st day

Lyth stars but England subside

Cricinfo staff

July 26, 2006

India Under-19s 51 for 1 (Aziz 31*, S Sharma 13*) trail England Under-19s (Lyth 64) by 180 runs

England Under-19s were indebted to a very patient 64 from Adam Lyth as their Indian counterparts dismissed the home side for 231 on the first day of the first Test at Canterbury.

Varun Chopra, the England captain, won the toss and chose to bat but he was soon back in the pavilion for 14 when Harshad Khadiwale trapped him in front. Billy Godleman hung around for nearly two hours in his 25, putting on 43 for the second wicket with Rory Hamilton-Brown before Sumit Sharma, the offspinner, bowled him. No sooner had Goldman departed than Moeen Ali was run out after facing just two balls. And after playing confidently, and briskly, for his 45, Hamilton-Brown fell to leave England in the decidedly precarious position of 89 for 4.

Lyth, the left-hander who turns 19 in September, steadied the ship and crunched nine fours in his 64. While he received good support from Mark Nelson, who played cautiously for 43, but the tail subsided thanks to a fine allround bowling display from India.

England struck back in India's reply, removing Khadiwale, as the tourists went to stumps at 51 for 1, still trailing by 180.

© Cricinfo