India 'A' seal series with six-wicket win over New Zealand A''

Visakhapatnam: Ashok Menaria returned with a five-wicket haul before Unmukt Chand and Mandeep Singh cracked individual half-centuries to guide India A to a convincing six-wicket win over New Zealand A in the second one-dayer of their unofficial ODI series here today. Menaria weaved his magic at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy stadium to return with figures of 10-0-38-5 to help India A dismiss New Zealand A for 216 in 47.2 overs after skipper Chand had won the toss and elected to field. Dhawal Kulkarni scalped two wickets, while Basant Mohanty and Sandeep Sharma also took one wicket each. [caption id=“attachment_1098675” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Unmukt Chand made 59 in the second unofficial ODI against New Zealand ‘A’. AFP[/caption] The hosts then returned to overhaul the target with 11.1 overs to spare, riding on individual fifties by Chand (59) and Mandeep (59) and their 89-run third wicket partnership off 103 balls in the middle. Kedar Jadhav (30) and Ashok Maneria (37) then finished the job for India A, stitching an unbeaten 53-run stand in 45 balls as the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 in the three match series. Earlier, Carl Cachopa top-scored for New Zealand A with a 103-ball 80, which was studded with nine boundaries. However, the 27-year-old South Africa-born cricketer didn’t get much support from the other end as the Kiwis always found the going tough against an inspired Indian bowling attack. Chasing 217 to win, opener Robin Uthappa could not make use of the life that he got early in his innings and was removed by Mark Gillespie in the fifth over. Looking to play an uppish shot, Uthappa was caught by Daryl Mitchell. The Karnataka cricketer struck one four and a six in his 19-ball innings. First down Aditya Tare (7) also could not stay longer and was back to the hut in the ninth over when he was caught by Luke Ronchi behind the stumps off a bouncer by Gillespie. However, skipper Chand didn’t allow the fall of wicket to affect his game as he kept dealing in boundaries and reached his half-century in the 21st over with a single off Anton Devcich. Chand and new man Mandeep didn’t allow the pressure to build up as they mixed caution with aggression to take India A across the hundred-run mark by the end of 20 overs. Chand was dismissed in the 26th over by Adam Milne. He paid the price for playing away from the body to a delivery that nipped back a bit as an inside edge disturbed his stumps. His 71-ball innings was laced with seven boundaries and two sixes. Mandeep and Kedar Jadhav then added 31 runs to take India A across the 150-mark but the former was soon sent back to the pavilion by Matt Henry in the 32nd over as the hosts were reduced to 164 for four. New batsman Maneria then didn’t waste any more time and plundered seven boundaries to take India A home in no time. Earlier, Menaria had picked up the wickets of Colin Munro (4), Mitchell (10), Cachopa (80), Andrew Ellis (34) and Scott Kuggeleijn (3) to emerge as the wrecker-in-chief. However, it was pacer Kulkarni who brought up the early breakthroughs by dismissing openers Anton Devcich (1) and Ronchi (34). Brief Scores New Zealand A: 216 all out in 47.2 overs (Carl Cachopa 80; Ashok Menaria 5/38). India A: 217 for four in 38.5 overs (Unmukt Chand 59, Mandeep Singh 59; Mark Gillespie 2/62). PTI