Cricket: North opt to abandon run chase

England A 336 & 301-7 dec North Island 371 & 97-2 Match drawn

ENGLAND A and North Island played out their expected draw in freezing conditions here yesterday. Set 267 to win in a minimum 43 overs, the hosts never appeared to contemplate the run chase and the captains shook hands half an hour before the scheduled close with North Island on 97 for 2.

Earlier, Michael Gough and Vikram Solanki livened up the morning session, both reaching 78, to put England on their way to their total of 301 for 7 declared.

Final day of four; England A won toss

ENGLAND A - First Innings 336 (D J G Sales 115, I J Ward 72, C P Schofield 52).

NORTH ISLAND - First Innings 371 (M S Sinclair 182, J A H Marshall 61; C P Schofield 5-107, R J Kirtley 4-80).

ENGLAND A - Second Innings

(Overnight: 106 for 1)

M A Gough c Vincent b Tuffey 78

V S Solanki lbw b Penn 78

A Habib lbw b Walker 47

*M W Alleyne run out 4

C P Schofield b Tuffey 3

D J G Sales not out 19

R J Turner c Bell b Tuffey 2

P J Franks not out 8

Extras (b6 lb8 w3 nb7) 24

Total (for 7 dec, 100 overs) 301

Fall (cont): 2-171 3-250 4-264 5-266 6-272 7-280.

Did not bat: R J Kirtley, M K Davies.

Bowling: Penn 19-2-60-1; Walmsley 5.4-1-11-0; Tuffey 26-3-82-3; Walker 28-6-65-2; Jefferson 15-5-47-0; Pocock 6.2-1-22-0.

NORTH ISLAND - Second Innings

*B A Pocock lbw b Davies 11

M D Bell not out 32

M S Sinclair c Turner b Davies 44

L Vincent not out 6

Extras (lb3 nb1) 4

Total (for 2, 28 overs) 97

Fall: 1-13, 2-88.

Did not bat: A J Penn, C J Nevin, B J K Walker, K P Walmsley, D R Tuffey, J A H Marshall, M R Jefferson.

Bowling: Franks 4-1-12-0; Kirtley 5-3-16-0; Davies 11-1-23-2; Schofield 5-0-29-0; Solanki 3-1-14-0.

Umpires: D Quested and G Stewart.