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Vitality IT20 Mixed Disability Series: Victory for England
England Men’s Mixed Disability beat India by 65 runs at the Cooper Associates County Ground today in the opening match of the pioneering seven-match IT20 series.
The trailblazing Vitality IT20 Mixed Disability series is the first of its kind at international level in cricket, bringing together the Physical Disability, Learning Disability and Hearing Impaired formats to mirror England’s domestic Disability Premier League format.
India won the toss and elected to field.
England openers Josh Price (14) and Dan Bowser shared an opening stand of 17 before the former picked out Sanju Sharmer at extra cover off the bowling of Vivek Kumar.
The score had advanced to 32 when Bowser (2) was bowled by Narendra Mangore.
At the end of the six-over powerplay England were 44 for two, and the 50 arrived after seven overs.
Callum Flynn and Liam O’Brien brought up the England 100 in the 13th over and the pair both reached their half centuries, O’Brien from 26 balls and Flynn from 34, as England looked to set a sizable total.
The 100-run stand came from just 54 deliveries and the partnership was eventually worth 122 before O’Brien was stumped by Yogendra Singh Bhadouria off the bowling of Ravindra Sante for 64 from 34 balls at 154 for three in the 17th over.
Flynn eventually fell for 70 (from 47) when he picked out Abhishek Singh at deep mid wicket off the bowling of Tarun with the score on 169 for four in the 19th.
Will Flynn was run out for seven in the final over as England finished on 182 for five.
Chasing 183 for victory, the India reply started strongly with Rajesh Kannur and Abhishek Singh taking the score to 48 by the end of the powerplay. The 50 partnership arrived just two balls later.
The partnership was eventually worth 60 when Kannur was trapped lbw by Chris Edwards for 30. Abhishek Singh was then bowled by Edwards just three balls later and all of a sudden India were 61 for two after eight overs.
By the halfway stage of the innings, India had reached 68 for two.
However, Tarun was run out off the second ball of the 11th over with no further addition to the score and when Virender Singh was caught behind, the tourists had slipped to 70 for four.
There was a mix up between Sante and Mangore which saw the latter run out for 12 at 97 for five in the 13th over.
97 for five soon became 98 for six when Bhadouria was run out for one.
England tightened their grip on the game when Sante (24) looked to go big but picked out Josh Price at deep mid wicket to give Alfie Pyle a second wicket at 108 for seven.
With five overs to go India still required 75 runs.
Sanju Sharmer was next to go, caught behind off O’Brien for four and when Vivek Kumar fell in similar fashion to Pyle India were 115 for nine in the 17th over.
Farooq Mohammed claimed the final India wicket as England claimed a comprehensive victory.
