Century for Pietersen in tour match

Cricket365
November 8, 2012

England's batsmen enjoyed relatively easy pickings on day one of their four-day tour match against Haryana at the at the Sardar Patel Stadium B Ground in Motera, Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Amassing 408 for three on the back of a century from Kevin Pietersen and half-tons from Alastair Cook, Nick Compton and Ian Bell, the tourists will admit the hefty nature of their total was largely aided by the inadequate composition of the opposition attack.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, capped 13 times in Test cricket, was the only real threat to a England unit hellbent on spending plenty of time out in the middle ahead of next week's series opener. Mishra secured the wickets of Compton and Trott, extracting nominal turn from a pitch typical of the one they will play on in the series opener.

Rested for the previous tour match against Mumbai A, Cook took the opportunity to reestablish himself at the top of the knock with a fine 97, which featured 18 boundaries.

Compton again afforded the selectors food for thought, emerging as a frontrunner to replace the retired Andrew Strauss with a fluid 75. With fellow uncapped opener Joe Root not picked for this match, Compton has surely banked his Test berth on the back of consecutive half-centuries.

Trott will consider himself unfortunate after falling for 46. On a flat track, against a weak attack, opportunity knocked for a big score – but the right-hander failed to oblige. Bell, meanwhile, ended the day unbeaten on 57 and will target three figures alongside all-rounder Samit Patel and the lower order come Saturday.

Pietersen, effectively reintegrating himself into a setup he was quick to shirk earlier this year, pounded a quickfire 110 before retiring to allow Patel and company time at the crease. His 94-ball blitz was laced with 16 boundaries and three handsome sixes, going a reasonably long way to redeem his previous off-field misgivings.