NOTTINGHAM, Sept 1: Alex Wharf had a debut to savour as England beat India by seven wickets in the first One-day International at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Glamorgan quick, only in the squad because Kabir Ali was out injured, took three for 30 as India were bowled out for a meagre 170.
And they were three quality wickets too - India captain Saurav Ganguly, Vangipurappu Laxman and Rahul Dravid. Stephen Harmison ensured there was no late rally by finishing the innings with a hat trick as India - minus star batsman Sachin Tendulkar because of an elbow injury - were dismissed with more than six overs left.
The Durham fast bowler was only the second Englishman to achieve the feat in a One-day International after James Anderson took a hat trick against Pakistan at The Oval last year.
England reached their victory target of 171 with more than 17 overs to spare after recalled opening batsman Vikram Solanki, fresh from his century for Worcestershire in Saturday's C and G Trophy final, made 52.
They had a brief wobble when seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji took two wickets for no runs in eight balls. First he had Marcus Trescothick caught at backward point for 33 before clean bowling England captain Michael Vaughan for nought with a slower ball.
The dismissal meant Vaughan had scored just 47 runs in his last six one-day innings. Solanki reached his fifty in 74 balls courtesy of his eighth four, a fine pick-up over mid-wicket off Irfan Pathan. But next ball he was plumb lbw to an in swinging delivery from the left-arm quick.
But Andrew Flintoff then gave England fans, in a capacity 15,000 sun-drenched crowd dominated by India supporters, something to shout about when he lofted leg-spinner Anil Kumble for a straight six before clearing the mid-wicket ropes off Pathan.
Flintoff (34 not out) finished the game with another six off Kumble. Andrew Strauss was 41 not out. England had not lost a One-day International fielding first since suffering an 82-run defeat against India at the World Cup last year in Durban and nor had they won one batting first so Vaughan's decision to field, after winning the toss, was unsurprising. But India were well-placed at 61 for one off 11 overs when Wharf came on.
He began, unpromisingly, with a no-ball on a pitch with plenty of bounce. But Wharf, who took six for five against Kent in a one-day game Sunday, had a wicket with his sixth delivery. Ganguly (24) fell when he skied a pull to wicket-keeper Geraint Jones.
And 62 for two become 63 for three when, in his next over, Wharf had Laxman, edging behind for 29. Wharf, bowling at over 80mph, then saw Dravid (13) top-edge a hook to Darren Gough at fine leg.
India were now 80 for four in 16 overs, Wharf taking three for eight in 14 balls, and their innings never recovered. Only Mohammad Kaif with 50, made it past 29. But one ball after reaching the landmark he became the first leg of Harmison's hat trick when he was caught behind off a slower ball, having faced 79 balls with four fours.
Balaji went next, experienced English umpire David Shepherd ruling he'd been caught in the slips by Flintoff although the ball appeared to strike his arm guard. Then last man Ashish Nehra was caught and bowled off a tame prod as Harmison finished with three for 41.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA:
V. Sehwag c Vaughan b Gough 4
S.C. Ganguly c Jones b Wharf 24
V.V.S. Laxman c Jones b Wharf 29
R. Dravid c Gough b Wharf 13
Yuvraj Singh run out 4
Mohammad Kaif c Jones b Harmison 50
R.S. Gavaskar c C'wood b Flintoff 20
Irfan Pathan c and b Giles 3
A. Kumble not out 9
L. Balaji c Flintoff b Harmison 0
A. Nehra c and b Harmison 0
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-5, NB-3) 14
TOTAL (all out, 43.5 overs) 170
FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-62, 3-63, 4-80, 5-89, 6-129, 7-143, 8-170, 9-170.
BOWLING: Gough 7-1-29-1 (1nb); Harmison 8.5-0-41-3 (1nb, 4w); Flintoff 8-0-28-1 (1w); Wharf 8-1-30-3 (1nb); Giles 10-0-25-1; Collingwood 2-0-11-0.
ENGLAND:
M.E. Trescothick c Yuvraj b Balaji 33
V.S. Solanki lbw b Pathan 52
M.P. Vaughan b Balaji 0
A.J. Strauss not out 41
A. Flintoff not out 34
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-7, NB-3) 11
TOTAL (for three wkts, 32.2 overs) 171
FALL OF WKTS: 1-63, 2-65, 3-128.
DID NOT BAT: P.D. Collingwood, G.O. Jones, A.F. Giles, A.G. Wharf, D. Gough, S.J. Harmison.
BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 10-0-53-1 (2w); Nehra 6-0-23-0 (4w); Balaji 10-1-37-2 (1nb, 1w); Kumble 6.2-0-57-0 (2nb).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Alex Wharf.
NEXT MATCH: The Oval on Friday. -Agencies