England Under-19s lost the second Youth Test at Worcester by 97 runs.
Despite a spirited and aggressive chase on the fourth day, having being set 339 to win inside 57 overs, they eventually had to drop anchor and attempt to see through the overs. India’s Shivam Mavi trapped Jack Blatherwick in front to see India to a 2-0 series victory with four overs left.
England started the day needing quick wickets and again it was Ryan Patel who made the breakthrough, taking his third of the innings and his seventh of the game when Parag nicked off after making a tidy half-century.
It was then over to fellow Surrey man Amar Virdi, who has bowled with impressive control for someone so young. His first wicket was that of centurion Shubnam Gill. Gill had continued his fine work from the third day to move to 100 but he was bowled shortly after to leave the score at 249 for five.
Virdi then settled into a nice rhythm to take three more wickets. Firstly it was wicketkeeper Harvik Desai, trapped in front, before the pick of bunch saw Shivam Mavi clean-bowled. Mavi – previously not out in this series – was tempted forward to drive but beaten in the flight.
All the time England were taking wickets they were battling with the runs-required and overs-left equation – Virdi’s third, again LBW, reduced India to 330 for nine but their lead of 338 already seemed tricky given the overs remaining. Captain Max Holden finished the job himself in the next over – Chahar caught by Liam Banks – and then ran to strap on his pads.
Holden and opening partner Harry Brook started very positively in pursuit of their improbable target. Brook in particular looked in fine touch and a flurry of boundaries saw England flying along at seven an over. Brook was put down on 23 but in just the next over he was bowled by Tiwari.
Holden – so often compared to Alastair Cook, and with good reason – looked to maintain the run-rate but after one glorious cover-drive he edged behind attempting to repeat the feat and England were 61 for two.
Patel and George Bartlett took England through to tea with the score at 93 for two – with 38 overs to bowl in the final session they still required 246 to win the match and level the series, at just under seven runs an over.
Handshakes seemed the most likely thing to follow but Patel and Bartlett had other ideas, roaring into the final session like they believed they could win it – adding 71 in 12 overs before Patel picked out gully off Nagarkoti for 47. Liam Banks joined Bartlett with 175 required from 26 overs and the aggression continued – the noise on the balcony began to suggest England were getting more confident.
When Bartlett was run out for a very impressive 73 the tide began to turn, and soon after Banks was stumped for 21 and Swindells followed for 2. That queued a change of focus for England who moved to trying to block out and save the match. When they lost first-innings centurion Will Jacks for 26 the writing was on the wall. George Panayi, Amar Virdi and Jack Blatherwick did their best to repel India but it was the visitors who took the spoils, and the series 2-0.
India’s Kamlesh Nagarkoti was voted as his side’s Player of the Series by the England management staff, while for England it was Max Holden.
The sides reconvene at Cardiff on August 7 for the five-match ODI series, with play sheduled to start at 11am. Admission is free for members and under 117s, £5 for adults to attend, with entry via gate 5, cash only.