Nicky Peng Photo Paul McGregor

England Under-19s could afford to sleep well tonight. They have had the best day of the tour so far. Nicky Peng with a brilliant hundred led the English counter attack against the spin attack of Vidyuth Sivaramakrishnan and co. who had spun them to defeat in the first Test. At close of play on Saturday in the second Test match against the Indian colts at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, England colts were 286/3 in 95 overs.

England made three changes to their team from the one that played in the first 'Test'. Kadeer Ali, Kyle Hogg and Robert Ferley gave way to Gordon Muchall, Chris Tremlett and John Sadler. India made no change to their playing eleven.

On a clear sunny morning, English captain Ian Bell did his team more than a big favour by winning the toss and electing to bat. Left handed John Sadler who had missed out on the first Test and Nicky Peng saw through the opening spell from the medium pacers with ease.

The introduction of Vidyuth Sivaramakrishnan did not trouble the English batsmen, Peng playing a glorious cover drive off him for four. Sadler and Peng had taken the score to 57 in the 24th over, when tragedy struck the English boys. Peng drove Dharmichand straight back at the bowler in the air; the catch was dropped and the ball disturbed the stumps at the non-striking end. Sadler was found to be short of his crease backing up and was given run out. Sadler made 22 runs off 77 balls before his unfortunate dismissal.

Peng suddenly changed gears to step out and hit Dharmichand for a couple of huge sixes. Ian Bell was lucky to survive as Vinayak Mane dropped him at second slip off the bowling of Trivedi in the 31st over. Peng reached his well-deserved fifty off 92 balls, in the 33rd over bowled by Trivedi. Peng struck hard, hitting Trivedi for three consecutive fours in the over. A couple of overs later Peng stepped out to loft him over long on for a huge six.

Soon after lunch, Bell got into his elements, two fierce square cuts off Sivaramakrishnan to the point fence raised the tempo a bit. Peng was more than lucky to be dropped twice in a span of three overs. The sloppy fielding and missed catches were to haunt the Indian side as Peng unleashed strokes all around the field. He was tied down for a while in the nineties, but let the world know that he is a young man with a lot of courage by playing an on-drive for four and then lofting a huge six off Dharmichand to reach his hundred.

Bell and Peng shared a second wicket partnership of 142 runs in 34.5 overs. When all seemed to be lost for the Indians, Bell tried a big shot over the covers and gave a soft catch to the cover fielder Dharmichand off the bowling of Ishan Ganda. Bell never looked to be in trouble as he carried on with his good form. His innings of 67 came off 114 balls and included 11 well timed boundaries.

The post tea session saw the loss of Nicky Peng for 132. Ishan Ganda caught him at short fine leg when he tried to go for a sweep shot off the bowling of Vidyuth Sivaramakrishnan. Peng was the third wicket to fall at 251 in the 80th over. His innings was decorated with 11 boundaries and 5 sixes. Peng was at the crease for 290 minutes and faced 240 balls to play one of the best innings of the tour.

Though the new ball was taken in the 91st over, it did not trouble the English batsmen. Gary Pratt played a wonderful pull shot off the bowling of Aggarwal that illustrated the domination of the English batting. At close of play Pratt was unbeaten on 39 with Gordon Muchall on 14.

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