England start strong in final Youth Test

Unlike their performance in the first Youth Test, England Under-19s utilised a refined batting approach to post 295 for six at the close of the first day of the second four-day match against Bangladesh Under-19s at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday.

Sent in to bat, England started off shakily as they lost opener George Balderson early in the innings. The visitors did recover from the setback though with opener Ben Charlesworth and Jamie Smith stringing together a 152-run partnership for the second wicket. Charlesworth was eventually dismissed off a Mujakkir Hussain delivery on 63 runs off 132 balls.

After the daunting partnership came to an end, Bangladesh bowler Ruhel Ahmed went all guns blazing in the next over, scalping Smith -- who missed out on a century by ten runs -- before picking up the wicket of Lewis Goldsworthy for a duck, restricting the score to 168 for four.

However, a 70-run stand between skipper Tom Lammonby and George Hill for the fifth wicket saved the day for the visitors. Lammonby lost his wicket after scoring 24 runs off 50 balls but Hill remained unbeaten on 79 runs off 139 balls to help England end the day on a high note. Ruhel, with figures of two for 61, was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh while fellow left arm spinner Minhazur Rahman scalped two for 89.

SCORES IN BRIEF

ENGLAND U-19s: 295 for six in 90 overs (Charlesworth 63, Smith 90, Hill 79 not out; Ruhel 61-2, Minhazur 2-89)