SYDNEY, Dec 8: England threw away a great chance to win their first game on their troubled Ashes tour when they were beaten by Australia’s second-string team in a limited-overs match on Sunday.
England seemed to be cruising towards a comfortable victory after restricting Australia A to a modest total of 205 for nine then racing to 111 for three in reply.
The tourists lost their last seven wickets for just 71 runs to succumb to 182 all out from 47 overs and crash to a 23-run defeat.
Captain Nasser Hussain and all-rounder Ronnie Irani both made 33 but Craig White (1) and Ian Blackwell (6) were both run out while a number of other players threw their wickets away with rash shots.
England’s batting collapse ruined what had been a markedly improved display by their bowlers and fielders who succeeded in frustrating the Australians with a tight line and length.
Man of the match Irani captured three vital wickets during a tidy 10-over spell that cost just 30 runs while Nick Knight underlined the improvement in England’s fielding with two brilliant catches.
He took a sharp catch at point to get rid of Greg Blewett for 23 then held an even better one-handed catch at slip to remove Andrew Symonds for three.
Australia A captain Justin Langer hit four fours and a six in compiling a patient 62 off 103 balls to set his team up for a bigger total before the home side’s middle-order collapsed.
The Australians slumped to 188 for nine until Mike Hussey carefully propped up the tail with an unbeaten 44 from 47 deliveries.
England made a terrible start to their reply when White was run out in the second over but Irani and Knight added 56 at better than a run a ball to steady the innings and put the tourists back on track.
But Irani, who hit seven boundaries in his 22-ball innings, departed when he was trapped leg before wicket by Ashley Noffke’s first delivery.
Hussain made 33 off 72 balls when he was trapped in front by chinaman bowler Brad Hogg, who finished with 3-32, with the total on 110-4 as the Australians suddenly found themselves back in the game.
With just 96 needed, England still had a chance to win but Hussain’s dismissal triggered another familar collapse and the last four wickets tumbled for just 32 runs, condemning the tourists to another defeat.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA A
J.Langer c Kirtley b Irani 62
J.Maher c White b Kirtley 0
G.Blewett c Knight b Kabir Ali 23
M.Clarke b Irani 25
M.Hussey not out 44
A.Symonds c Knight b Irani 3
R.Campbell c Stewart b White 21
B.Hogg run out 0
A.Noffke st Stewart b Blackwell 2
N.Bracken b Flintoff 12
B.Williams not out 7
EXTRAS (lb-2 nb-2 w-2) 6
TOTAL (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 205
FALL OF WKTS: 1-1 2-59 3-103 4-111 5-124 6-165 7-166 8-170 9-188
BOWLING: Kirtley 10-0-42-1, Flintoff 8-1-33-1 (nb-1 w-2), Kabir Ali 2-0-25-1 (nb-1), White 10-0-49-1, Irani 10-1-30-3, Blackwell 10-0-24-1
ENGLAND
N.Knight c Campbell b Nofke 20
C.White run out 1
R.Irani lbw b Noffke 33
N.Hussain lbw b Hogg 33
O.Shah c Campbell b Williams 25
R.Key c Clarke b Hogg 11
I.Blackwell run out 6
A.Flintoff c Campbell b Symonds 14
A.Stewart not out 6
K.Ali c Clarke b Blewett 16
J.Kirtley b Hogg 1
EXTRAS (lb-6 w-9 nb-1) 16
TOTAL (all out, 47 overs) 182
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-3 2-59 3-72 4-111 5-130 6-136 7-150 8-157 9-180
BOWLING: Williams 8-0-33-1 (w-3), Bracken 6-0-43-0 (w-1), Noffke 6-0-29-2 (nb-1 w-2), Blewett 7-0-15-1, Hogg 10-0-32-3 (w-1), Symonds 10-1-24-1 (w-2)
RESULT: Australia A won by 23 runs.—Reuters