India Blind run riot

India Blind wrapped up a series win after completing a third comprehensive victory over England at Redditch.

A 175-run triumph gave the tourists an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, and left England facing the prospect of a whitewash.

India posted a mammoth 395 for eight in 40 overs, and England could manage only 220 for eight in reply.

India’s total was built around an opening stand of 222 in 16.5 overs between Shekhar Naik and Subhash Boya.

Naik hit 112 off 69 balls and Boya 98 off 42 as England’s bowlers were taken to task in spectacular fashion.

Naik was particularly punishing on the drive and he raced to a 63-ball hundred before falling leg before to Nathan Foy. He had struck 17 boundaries.

Shortly after Boya fell in the nineties for the second time in the series, although this time it was in controversial circumstances as he was adjudged to have hit the ball twice.

Two overs later Luke Sugg took a magnificent catch to dismiss Ashish Negi and give Foy his second wicket.

England pegged back India to 268 for five after Rory Field bowled Dilip Mundy first ball, but two further substantial innings from Rajinder Verma (48) and Jose Shibhu Fernandez (43) carried India to within sight of 400.

Fernandez played attractively, timing the ball sweetly as Keryn Seal had his first bowl for several years, Joe Harrison claimed three late wickets in a spell of 3-6 in six balls and Matt Dean took a couple of catches.

England prepared to fight back in a similar vein but made the worst possible start with Dan Field run out off the second ball by a direct hit.

India used eight bowlers and showed their strength in depth with B1 Ketan Patel returning tidy figures of 8-0-43-0.

With the loss of Foy and Sugg, England were reduced to 35 for three after 4 overs but, with much improved running and sensible shot selection, Dean, Swanepoel and Field ensured that England batted out the 40 overs.

Negi used the bouncing ball on the hard surface to return figures of 5-0-19-3, including bowling Swanepoel and Harrison, the latter with a particularly unplayable ball.

The penultimate match of the series is on Friday at Studley CC.

Scorecard - England Blind v India Blind, 3rd ODI, Aug 23 2007 (96 KB)