Taunton: England’s Mixed Disability team defeated India by 65 runs in the opening day/night match of the Vitality IT20 Mixed Disability Series here at Taunton, the home of the Somerset County Cricket Club on Saturday (local time).
Before the match and the series began, both the teams and officials at the ground kept a one-minute silence as a mark of respect to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 14.
Both the teams’ players wore black armbands to mourn the tragedy too. After they were asked to bat first, England’s Mixed Disability team put up a formidable total of 182 for five in 20 overs, with C Flynn (70, 47b, 7×4, 1×6) and L O’Brien (64, 34b, 8×4, 2×6) smashing superb half-centuries and putting up a mammoth 122-run partnership for the third wicket in just 70 balls.
The duo joined forces when England’s Mixed Disability team had slipped to 32 for two in the sixth over.
Pacer Vivek Kumar (1-13 in three overs) and skipper and left-arm spinner Ravindra Sante (one for 26 in three overs) were the best bowlers for India.
Chasing under lights, India’s Mixed Disability team was bowled out for just 117 in 17.1 overs. A Pyle took three for 23.
The second match of the historic series will be played on June 23 (Monday) at the Wormsley Cricket Ground, before the teams play, for the first time ever, at the Lords’s Cricket Ground on June 25 in the third match.
Brief scores: England Mixed Disability 182/5 in 20 overs (C Flynn 70, L O’Brien 64) beat India Mixed Disability team 117/10 in 17.1 overs (Rajesh Kannur 30, Abhishek Singh 28, Ravindra Sante 24; A Pyle 3-23) by 65 runs.
(IANS)
