Kambli and Jaffer steal the thunder

By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, NOV. 18 Nasser Hussain's team spent the first day of its India tour rekindling competitive fires in an old foe known to fancy himself against English attacks, apart from allowing another young Indian batsman hungry for a breakthrough to have a close look at the bowling.

There were more questions than answers in the visitors camp as Vinod Kambli (109 off 109 balls, 19 fours) and Wasim Jaffer (99 off 148 balls, 15 fours) were at the forefront of a Mumbai offensive which resulted in 57 boundaries hit off the English bowling in 90 overs on day one of a strange two-day tour opener at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday. The home team totalled 373 runs for the loss of five wickets in the first innings, restricted to 90 overs. England skipper Hussain pressed seven bowlers into service after putting the opposition in, off-spinner Richard Dawson sending down the maximum of 24 overs for a two- wicket haul, sending back Jaffer and Kambli. But by then, Mumbai was cruising along at a comfortable 272 for three after two substantial partnerships-- 100 runs for the first wicket and 126 for the second.

Kambli, coming in to bat 23 minutes before lunch after Mumbai lost opener Vinayak Mane with 100 runs on board, was in an attacking mood , bounding to a 55-ball half-century (nine fours) before reaching the coveted three-figure mark in 103 balls (17 fours). He feasted on every one of the English bowlers, reading the bounce and pace of track so well that many of his boundaries came through lofted cover drives. Two pulls to the mid-wicket fence against off-spinner Michael Vaughan bore the stamp of audacity.

lThe scores:MCA President's XI -1st innings: Vinayak Mane 33 (run out) , Wasim Jaffer c Dawson b White 99, Vinod Kambli c (sub) Usman Afzal b Dawson 109, Bhavin Thakkar c Thorpe b Ramprakash 46, Amol Muzumdar c Hussain b Dawson 4, Sairaj Bahutule 52 n.o., Abhijit Shetye 10 n.o.. Extras (nb-13, lb-7) 20. Total 373 for 5 in 90 overs.

Fall of wickets: 1-100, 2-226, 3-272, 4- 276, 5-336.

England bowling: Matthew Hoggard 14-4-54-0, James Ormond 15-2-75- 0, Craig White 9-1-43-1, Richard Dawson 24-4-81-2, Michael Vaughan 18-2-70-0, Mark Butcher 3-0-17- 0, Mark Ramprakash 7-0-26-1.

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