Date-stamped : 07 Jan95 - 14:28 England "A" v Cricket Club of India XI, One-day Match played at Brabourne Stadium, Bombay, 1 January 1995 Tourists undone by leg-spinner England A made a disappointing start to their winter tour, losing to the Cricket Club of India by one run yesterday. England should have cruised to a comfortable victory after reaching 154-3 in reply to the CCI's total of 209-6 from 50 overs. But they lost captain Alan Wells and Glamorgan's David Hemp, the mainstays of their batting, to successive deliveries for 44 and 43 respectively, and could never regain their stranglehold on the game. Once again an England touring team were made to look second rate against quality leg-spin bowling. India's Sairaj Bahutule emulated Shane Warne's grip on English batsmen by taking a match-winning five for 41. Yorkshire spinner Richard Stemp, who took three wickets for 44 and could have had five if England's fielding had been sharper, was the pick of the tourists' attack as India struggled for every run. Wells and Hemp put on 84 in 16 overs, but a mixture of bad batting and two doubtful umpiring decisions unhinged the tourists, and they were left needing 14 off the last over to win. Tour manager Phil Neale said afterwards: "This was billed as a warm-up but the Indians were a strong side. There were several aspects of our game that pleased me even though the result went against us." (Thanks : The Daily Telegraph) Contributed by John.Hall (John@jhall.demon.co.uk) ====> MORE ENGLAND "A" STUMBLE TO ONE-RUN DEFEAT IN FIRST MATCH England A lost the opening match of their tour of India by one run to the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Bombay yesterday, falling away after reaching 154 for three in reply to CCI's total of 209 for six in a 50-overs-a-side one-day fixture. The loss of Alan Wells, the captain, and David Hemp to successive balls, for 44 and 43 respectively, exposed the lower order to the leg spin bowling of Sairaj Bahutule, who took a match-winning five for 41. After Wells had put CCI in to bat, Amol Muzumdar, who scored 260 on his debut, a world record, for Bombay last year, with an undefeated 49, and Samir Dighe, who scored 55, were their main run-scorers. Richard Stemp, the Yorkshire left-arm spinner, who took three wickets for 44, was the pick of the England A attack. Nick Knight (28) and Jason Gallian (25) put on 48 for the first wicket as England A started solidly, but Bahutule removed Gallian and Mark Ramprakash, for a duck, in three balls and forced Knight to hit his wicket to leave England 70 for three. Wells and Hemp put on 84 in 16 overs to raise hopes of victory, but a mixture of bad batting and doubtful umpiring decisions unhinged England as they narrowly failed to score the 14 they needed to win off the last over, finishing on 208 for eight. England begin a four-day match against the India Youth XI in Bombay today. (Thanks : The Times) Contributed by Barath.Sundar (sundab@*its.rpi.edu)