Date-stamped : 11 Jan95 - 14:30 England v Indian Board President's XI, Tour Match played at M.A.Chidambaram Stadium, Madras, 8-11 January 1995 ====> Day 1, 8 Jan 95 England A battled away in the baking Madras sun to restrict a President's Board XI to 255-3 at close on the first day of four. Spinners Ian Salisbury and Min Patel put the break on the Indian batsmen in the afternoon session. Seamers Dominic Cork and Richard Johnson, then allowed only 68 runs to be added after tea, but Mark Illot was forced to leave the field with a side strain. Rahul Dravid looked strong for the home side on 72 not out and will push for a large total on Monday. (Thanks : BBC Ceefax) Contributed by Syed.M.Ali (sma@dcs.ed.ac.uk) ====> Day 2, 9 Jan 95 Jason Gallian saved England A from an embarrassing collapse by batting for almost three hours for 36 not out against a Board President's XI. His solid application, backed up in the last 45 minutes of the play by Dominic Cork enabled England A to reach 131-4 by close of play. Nick Knight had earlier struck a bold 41 before holing out and skipper Alan Wells was also caught as he tried to take the aerial route. The home side had earlier declared on 333-6 with Cork taking 1-15 in a fine eight over spell. With two days remaining the ball is turning more sharply and surviving may prove difficult. (Thanks : BBC Ceefax, ITN's Teletext) Contributed by Syed.M.Ali (sma@dcs.ed.ac.uk) ====> Day 2, more Gallian digs in as spin pins down England A By Simon Hughes in Madras INDIA`S MCC cannot boast quite the same grandeur or ambience as their English or Australian counterparts. The Madras Cricket Club is a stifling concrete bowl not enhanced by the reek of the near- by Buckingham canal. On the first day, while the Indian Board XI batsmen pottered along untroubled to 255 for three, the odour of rotting sewage wafted into the England bowlers` faces. Yesterday morning, when they took two quick wickets, the air was clear, but when they began to collapse against the Indian spinners the smell had returned. The conditions did not deter Dominic Cork, though. He would hap- pily bowl all day into an overpowering leak from Ilkeston gas- works, and early in the morning his perseverance and agonised lbw appeal won a successful verdict against the Board XI`s top scor- er, Rahul Dravid. The Board XI plodded on, losing another wicket - when Michael Vaughan came on to try his occasional off-breaks - but otherwise looking comfortable against the spin of Min Patel and Ian Salis- bury, bowling mainly into the rough. The declaration was a curious one. The declaration, which came nine minutes after elevenses - 11.30 to 12.10 is officially known as the lunch interval - was a curi- ous one, being neither a proclamation of strength nor a casting- down of the gauntlet (their 333 had taken 128 overs), but it was a relief for a wilting attack deprived of Mark Ilott, who had strained his side on the first day. England responded breezily against the Indian seamers, who mostly probed the middle of the pitch for signs of life and found none. They became becalmed against the trio of spinners, however. One, the left-armer, Utpal Chatterjee, conceded only three runs from his 11 overs and prised out Alan Wells, caught in the covers off a checked drive. No-one usurped the control of Kanwaljit Singh, a languid off- spinner, either, and Jason Gallian - looking from head to toe like Mike Gatting on a celery diet - defended stoically against him for almost three hours. This kind of devotion was sadly lacking in some of the other bat- ting. Vaughan got his feet in a tangle and lost his off-stump be- fore getting forward, Nick Knight`s fluent innings ended when he tried unwisely to force against the spin, and David Hemp played back too casually. None seemed sure of the best approach against good spinners; if nothing else this tour will teach them that. Some controlled ag- gression from Cork in the last few overs proved he was in no doubt of the best way forward, but it will be all into the wind from here. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 3, 10 Jan 95 Patient Jason Gallian led spirited resistance by England A before conceding a first innings lead to a Indian Board President's XI. The Lancashire batsman batted five hours and forty minutes in blistering heat before being ninth man out with 79 to his name. Tail-enders Ian Salisbury and Richard Johnson lent support with some bold hitting before England were finally all out for 247. The home side extended their lead to 128 by reaching 42-1 at tea in their 2nd innings. ====> Day 3, MORE Indian left-hander Ganguly savaged the England A squad for his gusty 54 not out. He hit Ian Salisbury and Min Patel for huge sixes. Salisbury, especially, was severely punished by the Indi- an batsmen as he conceded 57 runs off his 7 overs. (Thanks : BBC Ceefax, ITN's Teletext) Contributed by Syed.M.Ali (sma@dcs.ed.ac.uk) ====> Day 3, more Gallian shores up his defences to keep tourists in contention By Simon Hughes in Madras SEA AIR invigorates Jason Gallian`s batting. Last summer he held the fort for 71/2 hours against Derbyshire at Blackpool, in the process recording the slowest century in the history of the Coun- ty Championship. Here at the Chepauk Stadium, a few hundred yards from the Marina Beach, he defied a three-pronged spin attack for most of a day. Gallian shored up one end, enabling a succession of batsmen to be more daring at the other. It was a sensible plan, and the main reason why, in tricky conditions, England A got a good deal closer to the Indian total than it looked as if they would. The ball turned inconsistently and wickets fell regularly, mostly caught close to the wicket. Dominic Cork spliced to short leg, Keith Piper edged to slip and Ian Salisbury was adjudged caught off the glove, although it appeared the ball made contact with every part of his anatomy except his hands as he tried to kick it away. After lunch Richard Johnson supplied some lusty blows, twice depositing left-arm spinner Utpal Chatterjee, who had conceded less than a run an over, into the empty terraces before perishing to off-spinner Kanwaljit Singh. Gallian had dropped anchor throughout, defending impeccably, tucking away the odd single and shunning the sweep, a shot which tends to arouse uncontrollable twitches of umpires` index fingers in these parts. With the end of the innings imminent, he took more risks and was stumped by a mile. Known already as "son of Gatt", you could see why. As well as a suggestion of podginess, his mannerisms - gait, stance, square cut and straight drive - are all recognisable. Brought up in Sydney, Gallian captained Australia Under-19s against England five years ago, but then went to Oxford Universi- ty and chose to play for Lancashire. If he can develop his at- tacking game, he will play Test cricket. On yesterday`s evidence, Salisbury will not for a while. His bowling was mercilessly exposed by the Indians` stroke-play and the inflexible field settings of Alan Wells, who kept two close catchers even when Salisbury was disappearing for eight an over. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 4, 11 Jan 95 Tailenders Min Patel and Richard Johnson survived a tense trial by spin to earn England A a fighting draw against an Indian Board XI. Alan Wells' team, set a target of 291 in five hours, held on at 168-9 after Patel and Johnson had shared a stand of 30. The last pair, Salisbury and Ilott, then faced off the last 22 balls to see England through. Johnson faced 55 balls, scoring just one single, while Patel hit five boundaries in an unbeaten 25. The tourists struggled badly from the start when they slumped from 15-2 after the home side had declared their second innings at 204 for 4. (Thanks : BBC Ceefax) Contributed by Syed.M.Ali (sma@dcs.ed.ac.uk)