England build on lead

England 299 and 30 for 1 lead CCI President's XI 251 (Samant 53, Blackwell 4-57) by 78 runs
Scorecard
How they were out

Ian Blackwell plugged away picking up four wickets © Getty Images

Though the bowling effort was several notches below full throttle, England managed to gain a 48-run lead by dismissing CCI President's XI for 252 on the second day at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. A rearguard fifty from Vinayak Samant and Aniket Redkar's plucky innings threatened England's chances of a first-innings lead but their dismissals broke the President's XI resistance. England finished the day on 30 for 1, 78 runs ahead.

Marcus Trescothick was back for England's second innings after missing the first day due to illness. Andrew Strauss clipped Abid Nabi straight to square leg but Trescothick showed impressive form, carting Redkar for four boundaries, three square cuts and a cover drive, off the last over of the day.

England had a relaxed warm-up session before the start of the day and carried that attitude into the match. The bowlers preferred to gently get accustomed to the conditions rather than fire on all cylinders. Steve Harmison got steep bounce as usual but was nowhere near the hostility he's capable of. Matthew Hoggard didn't find the swing that is so vital to his success and Simon Jones jogged in gingerly from a short run up and let loose at a little more than half his usual speed. Only Andrew Flintoff revved up the pace and conceded just four runs in his four-over spell.

Though President's XI were 162 for 6, Samant didn't hesitate to pull anything he felt was within his reach and his first attempt off Jones was top-edged over Geraint Jones for four. Thereafter he handled the short stuff from Harmison with ease, hooking a four behind square and reaching his half-century with a pull to midwicket. He played all three spinners comfortably and was out to a soft dismissal when he missed a sweep off Ian Blackwell. Redkar, who hit Blackwell for a six and a four just before tea, was later lucky when his edge off Jones fell short of first slip.

The openers, Sahil Kukreja and Robin Uthappa, played and missed a few times at the start but by and large they were content with leaving anything wide or too high from Hoggard or Harmison. Kukreja survived a couple of leg before appeals and struck the first boundary of the innings off Hamrison - a cut through point. Uthappa looked edgy early on and wafted at a few wide ones before he cut Harmison with a Sehwag-esque shot over slips. He followed up with a punched four to long-on and he had done well to see off the new ball when all the good work was undone in the space of three balls.

In the 17th over, Uthappa called for a sharp single to cover but Kevin Pietersen was quick to throw the stumps down, with Kukreja well short at the striker's end. Two balls later, he drove firmly to Michael Vaughan, whose direct-hit had Vinit Indulkar dismissed and the President's XI were 41 for 2.

Harmison returned for a second spell and bowled much quicker. He induced an edge from Uthappa off the second ball of his new spell and rapped Amol Muzumdar, on 15, painfully on the gloves. An x-ray revealed a fractured thumb and, in his place, Hiken Shah resumed the innings with Hrishikesh Shende after lunch.

Shende was soon snapped up by Flintoff at second slip but Shah and Wilkin Mota staged a recovery of sorts with a 55-run stand for the fifth wicket. They milked the spinner operating at one end while blocking the fast bowler at the other. Shah hit a streaky four through slips off Flintoff but compensated with a well-timed clip off his legs soon after. Both Mota and Shah helped themselves to a boundary each off Shaun Udal's first over and Ian Blackwell also looked innocuous as the batsmen cut and pulled him with ease. A moment's indiscretion from Mota, when he stepped down to Blackwell, cost him his wicket and another running blunder, a mid-pitch collision while attempting the third run, ended Shah's innings on 30.

Though Blackwell was the most successful bowler, taking 4 for 57, Monty Panesar, whose left-arm potential has been discussed since Ashley Giles was ruled out of the tour, bowled a tight spell and conceded just 41 runs in 16 overs. He capped his efforts by taking the penultimate wicket, bowling Redkar round his legs. Blackwell wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Abid Nabi, holing out to mid-off, and picked up his fourth wicket when Shaun Udal pouched Kshemal Waingankar's lofted hit.

Two England players, Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior, didn't take the field today. Collingwood experienced a stiffness in the back while Prior stayed back in the hotel as he was unwell.

England
Andrew Strauss c Vinit Indulkar b Abid Nabi 0 (3 for 1)
Clipped to square leg

Sahil Kukreja run out Kevin Pietersen 18 (40 for 1)
Direct hit from cover

Vinit Indulkar run out Michael Vaughan 1 (41 for 2)
Direct hit from mid-on at strikers end

Robin Uthappa c Geraint Jones b Steve Harmison 19 (42 for 3)
Edged one that moved away

Hrishikesh Shende c Andrew Flintoff b Matthew Hoggard 22 (81 for 4)
Regulation catch at second slip

Wilkin Mota st Geraint Jones b Ian Blackwell 28 (136 for 5)
Stepped down and missed

Hiken Shah run out Andrew Flintoff 30 (162 for 6)
Mid-pitch collision going for the third run

Vinayank Samant lbw Ian Blackwell 53 (226 for 7)
Missed a sweep

Abid Nabi c Matthew Hoggard b Ian Blackwell 0 (226 for 8)
Holed out to mid-off

Aniket Redkar b Monty Panesar 36 (245 for 9)
Round his legs trying to sweep

Kshemal Waingankar c Shaun Udal b Ian Blackwell 10 (251)
Scooped to deep cover

Amol Muzumdar retired out 15
Hit on the gloves by Steve Harmison