Cricket: Hollioake leads from the front

Australian Capital Territory 198-7 England A 201-3 England A win by seven wickets

England A overcame a frustrating delay to their preparations to finish with a flourish as they cruised to their fifth successive victory in yesterday's one-day match against the Australian Capital Territory.

The tourists, hoping to arrive at the Manuka Oval an hour before the start, finally reached their destination just 45 minutes before play after the coach scheduled to take them to the ground did not turn up. But the disruption failed to prevent England claiming a comprehensive seven-wicket victory with 7.3 overs remaining.

The hosts were restricted to 198 for 7 in their 50 overs despite a flying start from the openers, Paul Evans and Mike Veletta, who hammered the Derbyshire pace bowler Andrew Harris for 34 in six overs.

Peter Solway was the top scorer with a battling 68 as the spinners, Ashley Giles and Peter Such, successfully applied the brake to their run spree and as ACT attempted to accelerate, they lost five wickets for 64 runs, with the captain, Adam Hollioake, claiming 3 for 32.

The Surrey opener, Mark Butcher, gave England a flying start to their reply after they lost Michael Vaughan in their eighth over. Butcher raced to 72 off 81 balls as he added 89 with Owais Shah in 19 overs.

After Butcher was dismissed and Shah, the Middlesex teenager, fell for 37, Anthony McGrath hit an unbeaten 18 while Hollioake finished on 47 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 61 to steer the tourists to yet another comfortable victory.

Australian Capital Territory won toss

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

P Evans c Hollioake b Giles 40

*M R J Veletta c White b Ealham 19

P Solway run out 68

J Williams c Vaughan b Hollioake 21

I Garrity c Hollioake b Giles 31

M Robinson c Ealham b Hollioake 9

E Macdonald not out 5

G Lemin b Hollioake 0

H O'Meagher not out 0

Extras (lb3, w2) 5

Total (for 7, 50 overs) 198

Fall: 1-30, 2-75, 3-129, 4-173, 5-188, 6-193, 7-193.

Did not bat: B Smith, D Thornton.

Bowling: Harris 6-0-34-0; Ealham 10-2-40-1; Such 10-0-31-0; Giles 9-0- 39-2; Hollioake 10-0-32-3; White 5-0-19-0.

ENGLAND A

M A Butcher st Robinson b O'Meagher 72

M P Vaughan c Robinson b Smith 14

O A Shah c Solway b Garrity 37

A McGrath not out 18

*A J Hollioake not out 47

Extras (lb9, w4) 13

Total (for 3, 42.3 overs) 201

Fall: 1-42, 2-131, 3-140.

Did not bat: M A Ealham, C White, W K Hegg, A F Giles, A J Harris, P M Such.

Bowling: Thornton 6-0-37-0; Smith 7-0-31-1; Lemin 6.3-0-39-0; Macdonald 6-0-24-0; O'Meagher 9-0-29-1; Garrity 5-0-21-1; Williams 3-1-11-0.

Umpires: P Hazel and B Thornton.