Indians score 66-run
win over Hampshire

The Indian team warmed up for the upcoming Test series against England, scoring a comfortable 66-run victory over Hampshire on the final day of the three-day match at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Monday.

Chasing a target of 253, the Hampshire innings folded at 186 for nine shortly after lunch, as one of their batsmen, John Crawley, did not come out to bat due to an upset stomach.

Captain Robin Smith blamed the Indian curry that Crawley had on Saturday for his affliction.

It was Anil Kumble, who trapped John Tomlinson leg before for 23 for his fourth wicket of the innings, who paved the way for an early victory and almost a day off.

Shaun Udal, who took six wickets in the match, was the top scorer in Hampshire's second innings with 36.

Resuming at their overnight score of 43 for two, Hampshire were in trouble when they lost Robin Smith (19) off the very first ball of the day. Smith tried to play forward a Sanjay Bangar delivery and was adjudged leg before wicket.

Bangar, the most successful bowler -- with match figures of seven for 67 -- made a strong claim for a place in the Indian Test side, which takes on England in the first of four Tests at Lord's on Thursday, also top-scoring with an unbeaten 52 in India's second innings.

Hampshire batted marginally better than in the first innings, when they were bundled out for a paltry 123.

The Indian bowlers forced the hosts on the backfoot soon after start of the day's play and went on to capture eight wickets for 129 runs before Shaun Udal (25) and John Tomlinson (23) shared an unbroken 44-run partnership for the ninth wicket to delay the Indian victory.

Bangar, who claimed four wickets in the first innings, impressed yet again scalping three wickets for 27 runs in Hampshire's second essay.

John Francis and Lawrence Prittipaul tried to stem the rot after Smith's departure, adding 37 runs for the fourth wicket, but Hampshire received a jolt when Francis edged a Tinu Yohannan delivery to wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra after making 19.

Hamshire's efforts to salvage a draw suffered a setback when the innings' highest scorer, Prittpaul (32), was castled by Kumble.

Kumble picked two more wickets, those of wicketkeeper Adrian Aymes (18) and John Hamblin (2), while Harbhajan Singh scalped Dimitry Mascarenhas, who was caught behind after scoring five.

Mail Cricket Editor