Patel helps England Lions recover after poor start
Samit Patel, dropped from England's ODI and Twenty20 sides for being overweight, took out his disappointment against New Zealand A on the first day of England Lions' four-day match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln
Cricinfo staff
07-Mar-2009
Samit Patel, dropped from England's ODI and Twenty20 sides for being overweight, took out his disappointment against New Zealand A on the first day of England Lions' four-day match at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. Patel answered his critics with a fluent 64 as England Lions recovered after losing five early wickets to reach 331 for 9.
New Zealand won the toss and had reduced England Lions to 154 for 6 on a slow track, Ewen Thompson (3 for 85) and Brent Arnel (3 for 46) doing the damage, but Patel forged a 52-run stand with Joe Denly (12). Patel hit seven boundaries and a pair of sixes in his innings, which consumed 101 deliveries.
Later Luke Wright (69) and Gareth Batty (64) scored at a quicker pace to get the total above 300. Wright and Batty added 65 for the seventh wicket while and there were further helpful hands from Liam Plunkett (29) and Sajid Mahmood (40 not out).
