NEW ZEALAND A drew the match and series with INDIA A
Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
7-10 February 2020
DAY FOUR
Blair Tickner and Ish Sodhi having been called back into the BLACKCAPS, the final day began with Volts paceman Jacob Duffy whisked in after having captained the Volts into The Ford Trophy Elimination Final the previous day in Dunedin, and Michael Rae joining him as a substitution.
By lunch, India A trailed by just 39 runs as the runs had kept coming in the morning session: 373 for three at the break, balanced against the loss of just two further wickets.
From 107* overnight, Shubman Gill had reached 136 in 300 minutes at the crease before quick Ed Nuttall finally enticed an ungainly leg-side swipe that had him caught by Tim Seifert in the field.
He had shared a 139-run second-wicket stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (53), but the first drop had meanwhile already departed at 250 for two, having added just a single to his overnight score.
Ajinkya Rahane and Vijay Shankar formed a new 39*-run stand for the fourth by lunch, and both had eased past their repesctive half centuries by drinks in the middle session - by which time India A held a miniscule lead in a match surely destined for another draw.
Rahane carried on to reach an unbeaten 101*, his 33rd first-class century, before the captains shook hands in the Test series warm-up.
DAY THREE
Centuries to New Zealand A's Daryl Mitchell and India A's Shubman Gill saw runs dominate the scorecard as the weather cleared in Lincoln.
New Zealand A declared at 390 for nine after Mitchell's eighth first-class hundred, the ND and BLACKCAPS allrounder finishing unbeaten on 103.
Earlier, Dane Cleaver had departed in the fifth over of the morning after reaching a half century, before Nathan Smith stuck around for a 57-run seventh-wicket stand.
By stumps, India was a monumental 234 for one in reply, Blair Tickner having claimed the only wicket with Hanuma Vihari caught behind on 59.
Gill will resume on 107 not out in his eighth first-class hundred on the final day, with first drop Cheteshwar Pujara providing solid support on 52 not out.
DAY TWO
No play possible - rain.
DAY ONE
After a drawn opener heavy in runs, the second first-class match between the strong New Zealand A and India A sides got underway out at Lincoln.
By the end of the first day, NZ A had ploughed to 275 for five after captain Hamish Rutherford elected to bat, without anyone really kicking on.
Rutherford and Will Young put on 67 for the first wicket before Rutherford was caught on 40, one of two to fall in the first session.
Young had been patient and concentrated for his start, but would be stumped after lunch on 26 at 105 for three.
Glenn Phillips, batting at four, provided some solidity through the middle session, however, with a comparitively breezy 65 of 85 balls before India A struck back with a double breakthrough before tea.
Reaching 100 first-class career wickets, Avesh Khan pocketed both Phillips and Tim Seifert (30) who had joined the Aucklander in a 76-stand for the fourth wicket.
India A would be frustrated by the last session, though, no further celebrations for the visitors as Dane Cleaver - fresh off his career-best 196 against them - and Daryl Mitchell built a sixth-wicket stand that had reached 86* by stumps.
Keeping Ashwin wicketless for the day, Cleaver is poised on 46 not out overnight and Mitchell 36* heading into the second morning, with honours fairly even in the final Test series warm up.
