Rawlings ton drives England U-19

By Paritosh Pramanik
NAGPUR, Feb 21

ENGLAND Under-19 middle-order batsman Delray Rawlings (124*) made most of two lives he got to hit a fighting unbeaten century to take the visitors to 243 for 5 on the first day of the second Youth Test at VCA Jamtha.
Rawlings, dropped on 19 and on 93 by Indian captain Jonty Sidhu at slips, went on to score a responsible undefeated century from 194 deliveries which included 15 fours and two sixes. He completed his century with a cheeky single towards short covers. Rawlings and Will Jacks (66*) added 131 in 291 balls for the sixth wicket to strengthen their position after a shaky start.
Rawlings innings is praiseworthy as the Bermuda-born left-hander came in to bat when England had lost top three batsmen for just one run on the board.
India had put England under tremendous pressure in the morning with three quick wickets in first 15 minutes. Medium-pacer Rishabh Bhagat rattled England top order with two deadly deliveries to push the visitors at the backfoot. 
Bhagat first sent Harry Brook (1) back on the very first delivery of his spell trapping him in front and then stunned George Bartlett with pace as the last match centurion’s stumps went cart-wheeling. In the third over of the day, Kanishk Seth sent England skipper Max Holden (0) back with regulation catch at backward silly point to Siddarth Akre.
But Rawlings and wicketkeeper-batsman Ollie Pope (42) steadied the rocking ship with a 77-run partnership for the fourth wicket as they took lunch at 80 without any further dent.
India would have been in much better position had captain Sidhu and Abhishek Goswami not dropped sitters at slip cordon. First Sidhu spilled a regulation catch of Rawlings at first slip off left-arm spinner Anukul Roy and then Goswami dropped Pope (42) at the same position off Seth with the English middle-order batsman on 32.
Rawlings completed his half-century after lunch with a square cut but Pope failed to convert his good start as he holed out at mid-on to Daryl Ferrario off left-arm spinner Harsh Tyagi. The duo added 98 for fifth wicket in 218 balls. Euan Woods followed suit as he perished to a Ferrario delivery edging to wicketkeeper Suresh Lokeshwar.
India succeed in taking two wickets post lunch but were unable to break the partnership between Rawlings and Jacks as they negotiated the seamers as well as spinners easily. Tyagi bowled lengthy spells but was unlucky to get wickets from the dry track as Rawlings, who had scored an unbeaten 70 in the first innings of the first ‘Test’, and Jacks lowered their guard to take the score past 200.
India took the new ball immediately but the England duo parked the bus to walk back to the pavilion unconquered at their personal scores of 124 and 66.
Brief scores: England U-19: 243-5 (D Rawlings 124*, W Jacks 66*, R Bhagat 2-39).