Cricket: England's youth draw comfort

THE ENGLAND Under-19 side's opening fixture of their 10-match tour to New Zealand ended in a draw in Auckland yesterday. The three-day match petered out with Auckland Emerging Players' XI bowled out for 294 in their second innings, and play finished an hour before its scheduled close.

Earlier, England - managed on tour by Mike Gatting - were all out for 277 in reply to the Emerging Players' 209.

There was a good opportunity for England's youngsters to put in some practice in the field, with seven bowlers used. England will continue their preparations for the first youth Test in New Plymouth on 2 February with a match against a Central Districts Emerging Players' XI in Palmerston North tomorrow.

AUCKLAND EMERGING PLAYERS' XI - First Innings 209 (R King 66; G R Bridge 4-38).

ENGLAND UNDER-19 XI - First Innings 277 (I N Flanagan 93, M A Gough 73; S Silva 4-48).

AUCKLAND EMERGING PLAYERS' XI - Second Innings

T McIntosh c & b Bridge 53

R Scragg c Wallace b Logan 1

M Hendry c Gough b Dawson 17

J Pawley b Gough 33

S Lynch c Gough b Bridge 61

R King not out 41

R Young c Logan b Dawson 2

S Silva b Tucker 12

T Topia c Bulbeck b Logan 11

J Lintott b Bulbeck 42

S Ranchhod b Bulbeck 2

Extras (b1 lb3 w1 nb14) 19

Total (96.1 overs) 294

Fall: 1-3, 2-48, 3-113, 4-123, 5-192, 6-195, 7-224, 8-235, 9-292.

Bowling: Bulbeck 5.1-0-30-2; Logan 13-1-62-2; Dawson 29-12-71-2; Bridge 33-9-66-2; Gough 8-2-30-1; Tucker 6-2-24-1; Haywood 2-0-7-0.