England’s Under-19s continued to relish the stiff challenge of facing India in Nagpur, with Liam Patterson-White and Henry Brookes earning special praise for their contributions on a long, hot day in the field.
Brookes, the Warwickshire seamer who has impressed throughout his first international Under-19 experience, claimed two for 75 from 24 overs in conditions that were anything but helpful.
India responded to England’s record-breaking total of 501 for five declared by making 431 for eight. But the England bowlers stuck to their task – none more so that Patterson-White, a left-arm spinner from Nottinghamshire, who produced a marathon stint of 37 overs to take two for 104.
“He showed great stamina and great control,” said Peter Such, the ECB’s lead spin coach.
“After bowling 12 overs and picking up his first wicket on day two, he bowled unchanged throughout the morning session on day three. You have to bear in mind that the Indians tend to play spin-bowling well because they are brought up on it, but Liam held the bowling attack together, allowing the rest of the attack to bowl around him.
“He could easily have had three or four wickets – there were a couple of loud lbw appeals turned down, and one for caught behind. But for him, as for the rest of our bowlers, it was a great experience of conditions they rarely experience at home.
“Henry Brookes was very good again, on a pitch that is as flat as the match scores would suggest. He came in as a later replacement for this tour, he’s one of the younger members of the party, but he’s bowled outstandingly well.”
Euan Woods, an offspinning allrounder from Surrey, also collected two wickets in 15 overs; there was one for Delray Rawlins with his left-arm spin; and captain Max Holden also bowled eight tidy overs to take on some of the load.
Holden, who had scored 170 and shared a record-breaking partnership of 321 with George Bartlett in the first innings, was out cheaply second time around, in the last of the nine overs which England were left to bat.
But Yorkshire’s Harry Brook survived, and was joined by his near namesake Brookes as a nightwatchman. England will resume on the last day with a lead of 93.
Dan Houghton, an 18-year-old fast bowler who joined Lancashire’s Academy last October, is to join the squad ahead of the second four-day match against India, also in Nagpur.
He will replace Nottinghamshire’s Jack Blatherwick, who has a grade two hamstring strain and will return home at the weekend with Yorkshire’s Matt Fisher, who had already been ruled out of both four-day matches with a groin strain.
Houghton was recommended to the England management by Gary Yates, the director of the Lancashire Academy, who are currently in Mumbai on a training camp. Jon Lewis, the former England seamer who is now assistant coach at Sussex and has been working with the Under-19s as fast-bowling coach, flew to Mumbai to take a look, and now Houghton will link up with the England squad at the weekend.