Kambli feasts on English bowlers

Published November 19, 2001

MUMBAI, Nov 18: Test reject Vinod Kambli smashed 110 off 111 balls Sunday to give England’s bowlers a taste of the perils that lie ahead on the Indian tour.

Opener Wasim Jaffer chipped in with 99 and Sairaj Bahutule hit an unbeaten 52 as Mumbai President’s XI plundered 373-5 from 90 overs on the first day of the two-day tour opener at the Wankhede Stadium here.

The batsmen-friendly wicket offered no assistance to England’s inexperienced seam and spin attack, which toiled in vain under stifling heat and humidity.

Yorkshire’s uncapped off-spinner Richard Dawson was the most successful bowler for the tourists with two wickets, but at a cost of 82 runs from 24 overs.

There was little joy, or wickets, for the seamers as Matthew Hoggard went for 54 runs from 14 overs and James Ormond for 75 from 15.

England captain Nasser Hussain’s smile at winning the toss and sending the rivals to bat on a greenish wicket faded quickly as Mumbai raced to 123-1 by lunch and moved to 264-2 at tea.

Three wickets in the final session brought some relief to the tourists, who must have thanked their luck that batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar was not there to assist Mumbai.

The bald-pated left-hander, whose spends more time these days shooting for a Bollywood film, was not even expected to take the field due to illness.

But Kambli turned up before the toss and proceeded to hammer 19 boundaries in an exhilerating display that reminded old-timers of his 224 against England here during the 1993 Test series.

Scoreboard

MUMBAI PRESIDENT’S XI (1st Innings):

V. Mane run out 33

W. Jaffer c Dawson b White 99

V.G. Kambli c sub b Dawson 109

B. Thakkar c Thorpe b Ramprakash 46

A. Muzumdar c Hussain b Dawson 4

S.V. Bahutule not out 52

A. Shetye not out 10

EXTRAS (LB-7, NB-13) 20

TOTAL (for five wkts, 90 overs) 373

FALL OF WKTS: 1-100, 2-226, 3-272, 4-276, 5-336.

TO BAT: P.L. Mhambrey, N.M. Kulkarni, A. Salvi, R. Powar.

BOWLING (to-date): Hoggard 14-4-54-0 (1nb); Ormond 15-2-75-0 (3nb); White 9-1-43-1 (6nb); Dawson 24-4-81-2; Vaughan 18-2-70-0 (3nb); Butcher 3-0-17-0; Ramprakash 7-0-26-1

ENGLAND: N. Hussain (captain), M.E. Trescothick, M.P. Vaughan, M.A. Butcher, G.P. Thorpe, M.R. Ramprakash, R. Dawson, C. White, J. Foster, M.J. Hoggard, J. Ormond.—AFP/Reuters

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