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Hughes and Pomersbach hit hundreds for AIS

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Centuries from Phil Hughes and Luke Pomersbach helped the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) XI score 363 for eight on day one of its semifinal match against Combined Districts in the all-India Buchi Babu invitation tournament here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

Combined Districts, through discipline from M.K. Sivakumar and intensity from its fielders, staged a spirited fightback after lunch, reducing AIS from 231 for one to 257 for six in fewer than ten overs, but AIS finished strongly in its allotted 90 overs.

Big opening stand

Earlier, openers Hughes and Ed Cowan (79, 127b, 8x4, 1x6) put on 170 in 49.3 overs, as AIS assumed control of the first session after winning the toss.

The track held few terrors for the batsmen, offering little by way of pace, bounce, or movement. Most AIS batsmen dispensed with their helmets — as much to do with the track as the muggy conditions — and one suspected they were using bats with lower centres of gravity than the ones they use in Australia.

Districts suffered a setback when left-arm spinner C. Suresh, in the midst of a fine spell, injured the index finger of his bowling hand. He went off the field for a precautionary X-ray, which confirmed it wasn’t fractured; he is expected to bowl in the second innings.

Sivakumar’s fine spell

Without Suresh, Districts fell back on medium-fast bowlers A. Avinash and Sivakumar, who bowled with excellent stamina in difficult conditions. Sivakumar took four wickets in the span of 27 balls after lunch, conceding just seven runs.

Though a catch went down, the Districts fielding, particularly in the middle session, was sharp. It had to be, for Hughes and Pomersbach, left-handers both, hit the ball powerfully and ran well between the wickets. Hughes was caught at mid-wicket off Sivakumar for 107 (204b, 16 x 4), while Pomersbach remained unbeaten on 112 off just 121 balls with eight fours and four sixes.

Mumbai scores 340

In the other semifinal, played at ICL-Gurnunanak, Mumbai scored 340 for nine in 90 overs after winning the toss against Baroda. Left-hander Abhishek Nair top-scored with a 53-ball 82 (9 x 4, 4 x 6), while left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh took five for 98.

The scores: At MAC: AIS XI 363 for eight in 90 overs (Phil Hughes 107, Ed Cowan 79, Luke Pomersbach 112 n.o., M.K. Sivakumar four for 71) vs. Combined Districts.