England Lions 527 for 7 (Haines 171, Mousley 113, Holden 101, Mukesh 3-75) trail India A 557 by 30 runs
Centuries from Tom Haines, Dan Mousley and Max Holden helped England Lions reduce the deficit against India A to 30 runs on the third day of the first unofficial Test in Canterbury. Lions ended on 527 for 7 in reply to India A's 557 as the match headed towards a draw.
Mousley, who scored his maiden first-class hundred, fell off the last ball of the day - lbw to part-time offspinner Karun Nair. Batting at No. 7, Mousley came to the middle when Lions had lost two wickets in nine balls. Mukesh Kumar trapped James Rew lbw before having Rehan Ahmed caught at wide slip. Mousley put on a 93-run partnership with Haines. He looked at ease against pace and spin, using the sweep as well as the depth of the crease to play left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey.
On just his 12th ball, Mousley came down the track to hit Dubey for a straight six. It was a phase of play in which Dubey was finding his rhythm. He used the rough outside the left-hander's off stump and varied his lines and lengths to keep both the set batters guessing. Despite bowling well, Dubey got only one wicket in 25 overs.
Mousley survived some tough chances on the way to his highest score in first-class cricket - a thick edge off Anshul Kamboj flew past Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully, and, on 47, a close lbw appeal off Mukesh was turned down.
The first hour of the day had provided a sign of the hard work ahead of India A. Overnight batters Haines and Holden continued from where they left off, scoring 46 runs in the 12 overs bowled in the first hour of the morning. They were untroubled, and Holden completed his century in just 99 balls.
Soon after, Mukesh got a length ball from around the stumps to hold its line just outside off and had Holden caught behind, ending a 181-run stand for the fourth wicket. The two more wickets Mukesh took a few overs later meant the second hour of the first session belonged to India A.
Haines, though, continued his good form from the County Championship, where he has scored 655 runs in seven games for Sussex. His marathon knock on Sunday ended when Sarfaraz Khan took a diving catch to his left off Shardul Thakur. Mousley and Zaman Akhter then continued to resist India A until Nair's late strike off the final delivery of the day in Canterbury.
