Crciket: Silverwood takes a bow

NZ Cricket Academy 200 England A 203-8 England A win by 2 wickets

CHRIS SILVERWOOD signed off from the England A tour to join the senior side in South Africa with an innings of 38 not out and two wickets to help his side beat the New Zealand Cricket Academy by two wickets.

New Zealand batted first in this one-day match and Yorkshire's Silverwood chipped in with two wickets as his team bowled out the opposition for 200.

Silverwood, who is flying to South Africa as cover for the injured Andrew Flintoff and Dean Headley, made the initial breakthrough when he had Tim McIntosh neatly taken at second slip by Marcus Trescothick for three. The hosts' innings ran out of steam after the other opener, Hamish Marshall, fell victim to the England A captain, Mark Alleyne, following an impressive 86.

Alleyne, who was unhappy with his bowlers for conceding 51 extras in the previous day's opening match, would have been pleased with their control yesterday.

The tourists kept a tight rein on the Academy batsmen despite a late flourish from Tama Canning (10) and Hayden Shaw (22) that lifted the total to 200 before Ronnie Irani took Shaw's wicket in the final over.

In reply England A began brightly, with Ian Ward and Michael Gough putting on 78 for the first wicket in 22 overs. However, when Gough (41) was caught at mid-on it heralded the loss of five more wickets in seven overs for the addition of only 31 runs.

Silverwood and Kirtley managed to halt the slide with Silverwood pushing the score along thanks to a series of lusty blows. He used all his experience and batted with immense composure to hit the winning runs with the fifth boundary of his timely knock, as England reached 203 for 8.

One day: England A won toss

NZ CRICKET ACADEMY

H J H Marshall c Schofield b Alleyne 86

T McIntosh c Trescothick b Silverwood 3

N R Parlane run out 7

M N McKenzie b Irani 11

M H W Papps c Turner b Alleyne 16

*J E C Franklyn c Turner b Silverwood 10

P D McGlasan run out 12

T Canning c Silverwood b Kirtley 10

D Tuffey c Turner b Kirtley 10

H J Shaw b Irani 22

J Patel not out 1

Extras (lb5, w6, nb1) 12

Total (49.5 overs) 200

Fall: 1-3, 2-20, 3-66, 4-113, 5-139, 6-151, 7-155, 8-161, 9-191.

Bowling: Silverwood 10-3-19-2; Kirtley 10-1-44-2; Irani 9.5-0-50-2; Sheriyar 7-0-28-0; Alleyne 10-0-32-2; Schofield 3-0-22-0.

ENGLAND A

M A Gough c Shaw b Canning 41

I J Ward c Franklyn b Patel 32

M E Trescothick c & b Shaw 14

A Habib c McIntosh b Shaw 1

R C Irani c McGlasan b Canning 22

R J Turner lbw b Shaw 6

*M W Alleyne b Shaw 0

C P Schofield c Tuffey b Canning 27

C E W Silverwood not out 38

R J Kirtley not out 8

Extras (lb3, w8, nb3) 14

Total (for 8, 49 overs) 203

Fall: 1-78, 2-84, 3-86, 4-99, 5-109, 6-109, 7-140, 8-156.

Did not bat: A Sheriyar.

Bowling: Tuffey 10-2-42-0; Shaw 10-1-34-4; Franklyn 10-3-38-0; Canning 9-0-46-3; Patel 10-0-40-1 .

Umpires: B Bowden and G Baxter.