Adam Riley makes England Lions debut
Sunday 18th January 2015
Adam Riley bowled a maiden over on his England Lions debut against South Africa A in Bloemfontein.
Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid hit half-centuries earlier in the day but England Lions struggled to capitalise on the advantage of batting first in their second four-day match.
Jonathan Trott won his first toss as Lions captain at the third attempt on a warm day and a used pitch which was already offering considerable turn to the Test off-spinner Dane Piedt on the first day.
But the Lions slipped to 16 for three against the new ball and never fully recovered, despite handy partnerships involving James Vince and the Yorkshire quartet of Lyth, Rashid, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett.
They were all out for 260 but Mark Wood reduced South Africa A to 29 for one in their reply, bowling the left-handed Stiaan van Zyl with a beauty.
The Lions' problems began in the third over when Sam Robson edged a good delivery from Rory Kleinveldt, who then had Alex Lees clipping to short midwicket before Trott turned Chris Morris to the leg-slip that had been posted by the home captain Justin Ontong.
Vince joined Lyth to add 66 for the fourth wicket before becoming a second leg-slip victim of the morning session, this time off Piedt.
Lyth and Bairstow then steered the Lions to their strongest position of the day at 160 for four in mid-afternoon, with the left-handed opener reaching a determined 77-ball half-century after clipping Piedt for his eighth boundary from the first ball he faced after lunch.
But he was undone on 65 by the occasional medium pace of van Zyl, and in the next over Bairstow was bowled for 47 by a full, inswinging delivery from Kleinveldt.
That left the Lions in trouble again at 164 for six, but Plunkett joined Rashid to add 47 handy runs either side of tea. However Plunkett’s dismissal, lbw to Piedt, was quickly followed by the loss of Wood and Adam Riley, the Kent off-spinner who was handed his Lions debut in the only change from the drawn first game in Paarl.
See Adam Riley in action this summer with a Kent Cricket Membership.
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