RESULT
24th Match, Group A, Lincoln, January 21, 2010, ICC Under-19 World Cup
(46.4/50 ov, T:247) 215

England U19 won by 31 runs

Player Of The Match
, ENG19
100 (88) & 2/43
ben-stokes
Report

England overcome India and top Group A

Buoyed by a brilliant century from Ben Stokes, England came back strongly to defeat India in the last league match of the Under-19 World Cup in Lincoln

Cricinfo staff
21-Jan-2010
Ben Stokes' hundred was the cornerstone of a strong comeback by England Under-19 against India in Lincoln  •  Getty Images

Ben Stokes' hundred was the cornerstone of a strong comeback by England Under-19 against India in Lincoln  •  Getty Images

England came back strongly to beat India in the last league match of the Under-19 World Cup in Lincoln to move to the top of Group A. Put in to bat, England ran into trouble against Saurabh Netravalkar, losing both openers early to catches behind the stumps. James Vince and Jack Manuel temporarily resisted, but could not break the shackles imposed by India's sharp new-ball pair. By the 20th over of the innings the top four had all perished, nicking to wicketkeeper Sufiyan Shaikh, three off them to Netravalkar, with just 60 runs on the board. India held the advantage but England turned the tide slowly but surely through the fifth-wicket pair of Ateeq Javid and Ben Stokes.
The pair put on 100 in 21.5 overs as the Indian attack flagged, with Harshal Patel and Harmeet Singh unable to keep up the intensity of the opening bowlers. Javid stroked four fours in his 42 before Harmeet breached his defences in the 40th over - the first of the batting Powerplay. Stokes had been sedate up to this point, getting his eye in and quietly reaching 50 off 61 balls. But with the field coming in and India bowling their lesser bowlers, he went berserk in the company of Michael Bates. The pair added 62 in 41 balls, with Bates turning the strike over efficiently to the set batsman. Stokes scored his second fifty in just 26 balls, thirty of those coming in five balls that sailed over the ropes. Despite the dismissal of both batsmen in the closing stages, Adam Ball took England to a challenging 246.
With bragging rights for the group at stake, the defending champions launched their chase in frenetic fashion: 36 had come in under six overs when Rahul Kannaur fell to David Payne. Mayank Agarwal continued to punish the new ball, slamming two sixes and three fours in his 32, before man-of-the-moment Stokes broke through. Agarwal's dismissal was the first in a decisive passage of play where India lost three wickets for the addition of one run, with Ashok Menaria and Harpreet Singh succumbing to David Payne for no score. Stokes struck again to remove Mandeep Singh and, at 87 for 5, England were on top. Manan Sharma and Shaikh tried to consolidate but, having lost too many wickets, India needed big scores from at least one of them to have a realistic chance of winning the match. Sharma's dismissal for 36, with India still 129 runs away, was a crippling blow from which they never recovered. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and despite a composed 42 from Shaikh and a buccaneering 28 from Netravalkar, India were bowled out 31 runs short of the target.
The result means England will face West Indies in the quarterfinals in Rangiora on January 23, while India will play subcontinental rivals Pakistan on the same day in Lincoln.

Group A

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against
England Under-19s 3 3 0 0 0 6 +1.767 559/106.0 526/150.0
India Under-19s 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.089 484/99.2 507/134.0
Afghanistan Under-19s 3 1 2 0 0 2 -0.877 385/131.0 386/101.1
Hong Kong Under-19s 3 0 3 0 0 0 -2.095 465/134.0 474/85.1

Group B

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against
South Africa Under-19s 3 3 0 0 0 6 +0.801 664/128.3 655/150.0
Australia Under-19s 3 2 1 0 0 4 +2.093 812/150.0 497/149.4
Ireland Under-19s 3 1 2 0 0 2 -1.480 499/143.5 711/143.4
United States of America Under-19s 3 0 3 0 0 0 -1.448 534/150.0 646/129.0

Group C

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against
New Zealand Under-19s 3 3 0 0 0 6 +2.242 466/88.0 458/150.0
Sri Lanka Under-19s 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.165 593/124.2 459/127.2
Canada Under-19s 3 1 2 0 0 2 -1.870 471/150.0 597/119.1
Zimbabwe Under-19s 3 0 3 0 0 0 -1.302 447/134.0 463/99.5

Group D

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against
Pakistan Under-19s 3 3 0 0 0 6 +1.452 648/118.0 606/150.0
West Indies Under-19s 3 2 1 0 0 4 +0.235 694/135.4 732/150.0
Bangladesh Under-19s 3 1 2 0 0 2 +0.685 688/127.2 688/145.5
Papua New Guinea Under-19s 3 0 3 0 0 0 -2.643 474/146.0 478/81.1

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ICC Under-19 World Cup

Group A
TEAMMWLPTNRR
ENG1933061.767
IND1932141.089
AFG193122-0.877
HK193030-2.095
Group B
TEAMMWLPTNRR
SA1933060.801
AUS1932142.093
IRE193122-1.480
USA193030-1.448
Group C
TEAMMWLPTNRR
NZ1933062.242
SL1932141.165
CAN193122-1.870
ZIM193030-1.302
Group D
TEAMMWLPTNRR
PAK1933061.452
WI1932140.235
BD1931220.685
PNG193030-2.643