India 'A' crumbles to an innings defeat as Peterson, Dros excel

India `A' were handed a crushing defeat by the South Africa Board President's XI in the three-day tour game being played at Chatsworth on Sunday. The tourists were bundled out for a meagre 90 runs in their second innings, with left-arm spinner Robin Peterson finishing with dream figures of 7.2-4-9-4. The South Africa Board President's XI emerged victorious by an innings and 109 runs.

On the final day the home side resumed at their overnight score of 369/7 and went to on to make 411/8 declared in their first innings. Gerald Dros, a 28-year-old right-hand batsman from Northern Transvaal, remained unbeaten on 117. This is only his second hundred in eight years of first class cricket. Dros faced 220 balls, hitting 16 boundaries and a six; in what turned out to be a match-winning knock. The other overnight not out batsman Alfonso Thomas went on to make 22 runs, adding 40 runs for the eighth wicket. Amit Mishra, the 20-year-old legspinner from Haryana was the best of the Indian bowlers, picking up a five-wicket haul (31-4-115-5)

Trailing by 199 runs in the first innings, India 'A' got off to a shocking start, losing the stylish left-handed opening batsman Gautam Gambhir (7). India 'A' were in dire straits at 28/3 after losing Amit Pagnis (3) and Abhijit Kale (6). Skipper Jacob Martin and Rohan Gavaskar put on 28 runs for the fourth wicket, which was to be the highest of the innings. Ironically, Martin (25) and Gavaskar (13) were the only players to get to the double-figure mark apart from Extras (13). India 'A' lost their last seven wickets for just 34 runs, with Peterson plucking out four of those wickets.